Tales of the Teen Titans Volume 1: Go!
by Lostinthought319
Summary: Raven is an outcast, Beast Boy is a runaway, Cyborg is a reject, Starfire is a foreigner, and Robin is the new kid in town. This unlikely band of misfits become the protectors of Jump City, the Teen Titans. Can they take down the H.I.V.E. and the ever-growing supervillain populace all while The World's Greatest Assassin lurks in the background?
1. Prologue: Part 1-Daughter of Darkness

**Azarath**

"Millenia ago, there was a great battle between darkness and light. The cosmos were being ravaged by Trigon the Terrible. He was on the verge of universal dominion were it not for three words…

"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!"

"And with that incantation, the demon was sealed within the Great Door. Alas, the conqueror still had an ace up his sleeve. Before his defeat, he was able to corrupt a soul on this plane. That same soul escaped to a world beyond our reach and founded a cult to serve his dark lord. Wherever a strong enough contingent of these followers are gathered, Trigon's form can be summoned for a time. For centuries, he has attempted to sire a child who would have the power to free him from his imprisonment and allow him to have his vengeance. All of his attempts have failed. No female has been able to bear his seed and the few that are able to complete the childbirth either slay their spawn and themselves or let the child die on its own. Even so, his constant summons ensures that his essence is scattered throughout the cosmos."

"Trigon's legions have only grown over time on hundreds of worlds. Demonic hordes that bear the Mark of Skaath. Oftentimes, they are quiet, subtle, unseen. But ever vigilant. Quite like us, my children. The children of Azarath."

The goddess known as Azar finally turned to face her legions of followers. Thousands of men and women in cloaked robes stared up at her from her position atop her dais, none daring to interrupt their leader.

"Though we are a pacifistic society, I fear someday soon we may have to fight for our very existence. Trigon's influence is beginning to creep over the corners. I sense something amiss. A shift in the universal scales. A mortal woman has sired a child of Trigon. And it appears she intends to keep it."

Earth

"Shh, shh. It's okay. Don't cry. Please don't…"

The child's wails only increased, and Angela Roth sighed and shut her eyes tightly.

_How the hell did I ever get here?_

**Gotham City, 5 years ago**

"Ange? Angie? Angel? Earth to Angela?"

Angela Roth turned down her headphone volume just enough to hear her sister pounding at the door. Sighing, she rolled out of bed and opened her bedroom door.

"What is it, Alice?"

"We're running late. You were supposed to be ready for church an hour ago."

Rolling her eyes, the elder sister made to shut her door. "Thanks, but I think I'll pass."

"What?! Angela…"

The slam of her sister's door cut her off.

"You know, Mom's not gonna like that…"

Ignoring her, Angela went back to her music and sat down at her desk, booting up her computer. Logging in as DarkAngel1980, she signed into her group chat of friends who told stories that hit her deeper than any sermon Pastor Jeff had ever spoken to her.

She was just reading some intriguing stuff about seances when an even louder knocking than before thundered at her door.

"ANGELA?! Just what do you think you're doing?"

"Talking to some friends."

"And would I know these friends?"

"Probably not, Mom. You'd have to venture outside church and PTA meetings."

Pushing her way inside, and storming in her direction, her mother towered over her. "Let's make one thing perfectly clear, young lady: You are 16. I am an adult. You cannot and will not speak to me that way ever again. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Good. Now get off that computer, march yourself to the shower and make yourself look presentable. You have 20 minutes."

Later

When she wouldn't answer her door, Alice Roth knew exactly where to find her older sister.

Climbing out of her own window, she joined her sister on the roof where she stewed, sullen.

"Angie, are you all right? You've barely said 2 words all day."

Angela sighed, never being able to stay mad at her sister for long.

"It's Mom. She always treats me like a f##cking kid. She never bothers to take the time to actually learn about what I'm into. She thinks she owns me, but she doesn't. First chance I get, I'm out of this place. There's a whole world outside Gotham."

1 year later

"Angela? Do you wanna tell me why I found a beer bottle in the trash?"

Huffing, Angela half-heartedly waved her hand. "Probably because I drank some."

Alice put her hands on her hips, not believing her sister's cavalier attitude. "Do you know what would have happened if Mom and Dad found that? You're lucky I hid it. You know they're still getting over the tattoo incident."

Shrugging, her sister only replied, "I like Poe. Sue me."

"I don't know what Randy and Maria have got you doing at Slaughter Swamp every weekend but try not to bring it back here, all right?"

Angela rolled her eyes and mockingly saluted her sister.

Sighing, Alice began picking up cigarette butts and putting them in the trash for her sister. "I'm just trying to look out for you."

"Of course you are." Angela muttered, finally sitting up from her position on the bed. "Saint Alice, always there to save the day."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Forget it. Just go. Please."

2 years later

5:00 PM

"Angela? Angie? Ange?"

The woman in question simply snuggled deeper into the comfort of her couch.

"Wake the f*ck up!"

The flick to her temple finally woke her up, causing her to sit up so fast she spilled her beer bottles and ashtrays all over the floor.

"What, Maria?" Angela asked heatedly.

"Your phone's been going off for like, 10 minutes. Answer it before I throw it out the window."

Snatching it from her proffered hand, Angela rasped, "Hello?"

"_Finally. I thought you'd lost your phone. Again. Anyway, I was calling to ask if you were coming over later for dinner."_

"Alice, I don't know. I've had a long week and I'm a little tired."

"_You've been telling me that for 5 months. C'mon, wouldn't it be nice to have a homecooked meal for once instead of Chinese takeout?"_

Glancing at her trash can full of cartons of said takeout, she shrugged. "Maybe."

"_Mom and Dad would love to see you."_

"I'm sure." Angela deadpanned, picking at her nails.

"_Tell me you'll at least try to make it over here."_

Sighing, her voice softened. "You have an annoying way of wearing my defenses down. Look, how about next week? There's something I gotta do tonight."

"_Tell me you're not using a Ouija Board again."_

"Not exactly. I'll talk to you later, sis."

Hanging up, she pocketed her phone and stood up to stretch. "So is this place Randy's taking us legit?"

"Should be."

"The last guy I did a tat for said this was legit. Some kinda church or something. But he said they summoned a real demon before. What was it, Try-On? Somethin' like that. Said it requires a sacrifice or whatever. But after tonight, we can check demon summoning off the bucket list."

"I don't know…" Angela hedged.

"Would you rather spend the night at your family's place, awkwardly explaining why you look and smell like hell?"

"Ha ha. Fine. Let's go."

Unknown Location, 7 PM

"So are you sure this guy was legit?" Angela questioned, tapping her foot impatiently.

"Look, just because we're standing in a clearing in the middle of nowhere doesn't mean I got played. Right?"

"Sure, Randy." Maria patted his shoulder sympathetically. "Because you're never been a total sucker in the past."

"Shut up."

A rustling in the bushes sent a shiver up Angela's spine. "Did you guys hear that?"

"Hear the sound of Randy's credibility dying a slow and painful death? It's deafening."

"I'm serious."

Sensing the worry in her tone, her friends got the message.

Randy stepped forward and silently crept towards the bushes. He pushed through a hedge and disappeared behind it.

It was dead silent for what felt like forever.

"Randy?" Maria called.

A head shot out through the bush screaming, "BOO!"

Randy couldn't contain his laughter at the girls' reaction if he tried.

"You jerk!" Angela laughed nervously.

"Sorry. But you were freaking out over nothing."

A slashing sound was heard and Randy's face went slack. He staggered out from the brush, red seeping through the bottom of his white shirt.

Before Angela or Maria could react, an army of red-hooded people were upon them, holding them down.

A sharp blow to her head had Angela seeing stars.

The last thing she saw before darkness swallowed her was Maria being dragged away shrieking for mercy.

…..

Groggily, Angela awoke, feeling stiff. She attempted to sit up but found she couldn't.

Her blurry vision finally came into focus and she craned her neck to find herself surrounded by the people who'd attacked her and her friends.

They were in the forest, the surrounding area illuminated only by torchlight. All of their faces were hidden by their hoods and the shadows.

Angela was strapped down to a makeshift altar, clad in a white robe, stripped of the clothes she had came with.

One of them stepped forward as she addressed him, trying to keep her voice from quavering. "What the hell is this?! W-where are my friends?"

A cruel smirk appeared under the hood. "See for yourself, my dear."

Turning his torch to a tree above her, she saw Randy and Maria lifeless and impaled on a trunk.

Tears formed in her eyes as she fought the urge to throw up.

"My apologies for the deception, girl, but we needed blood." The man continued, gesturing to a vat of red liquid. "Theirs did nicely. And we also needed a vessel. You fit the bill."

"Vessel for what?" She bit out.

"For the Master's ascension. You wanted to see a demon summoning? Prepare yourself."

Turning to his disciples, he began a chant in an ancient language and soon they all joined in.

As they continued, the landscape began to shift and the skies turned red. The world around her disappeared, swallowed by blackness. Images flashed through her mind. Wars, battles, torture. Screaming, wailing, and moans of pain echoed to the very depths of her soul. Finally, she screamed as it all overwhelmed her.

She didn't know how long she'd been alone, whimpering in the darkness. Suddenly, golden smoke poured in and light streamed through as if a door had been opened.

Emerging from the light was a gorgeous red-haired man who came towards her. She couldn't even find it in herself to be disturbed by the fact that he had no clothes on.

Everything from there was a blur. She didn't know the man's name. She didn't know where they were. But he had a voice like honey. He was sweet to her and he had rescued her from oblivion. Nothing else mattered.

So naturally, when he asked her to be his bride, she said yes. They didn't need a ceremony. All they needed was each other. Their wedding night was everything she imagined it would be. She snuggled into his embrace and drifted off, feeling safe for the first time in a long time.

The morning after, she awoke. Or at least she thought she was awake. The world was formless and pitch-black just as it had been when she had first arrived. But this time, she sensed she wasn't alone. There was something in the dark with her.

"Hello?" She called out.

Four eyes blazing with hellfire illuminated the darkness. Without warning, an inferno burst to life around her and out of the shadows a hideous monster emerged. It was gargantuan, clad in a loincloth bearing the visage of a dragon-like creature. A cape billowed behind it, white, the same color as its gleaming gauntlets.

Angela was frozen in horror. Taking notice of her, the monster grinned down at her with a revolting smile. It began to laugh, a booming sound that made the ground quake and tremor.

Shrieking in terror, Angela felt her world go sideways.

When everything came back into focus, she was back on the altar, unbound. She still had on her robe. The only thing different was that she was alone. If not for the robe and altar, she could write off the whole experience as a dream. Looking above her, even Randy and Maria's bodies were gone.

She didn't remember when she started running. Before she knew it, she made it to Randy's car which was still intact. Her clothes and the keys were on the hood. She didn't bother to question how.

In a haze, she made it back to the apartment. After a valiant effort, she couldn't hold it together any longer. She collapsed, back to the door as she cried, for too many reasons. For Randy and Maria. For the fear of losing her mind. To mourn a relationship that never truly happened. For being violated in every manner possible.

Try as she might, she couldn't get to sleep. After screaming into her pillow and throwing it across the room, Angela went hunting for some relief. No pills in the cupboard. She was out of smokes. And no alcohol in the fridge.

"Damn it!" She cursed, furiously scrubbing at her eyes.

Agonizing, she finally came to a decision.

…

Roth Household

"…And deliver us from evil. Amen."

KNOCK! KNOCK!

"I'll get it!"

Angela couldn't help but smile to herself, hearing the voice from inside.

At last, the door opened and Alice Roth could do nothing but gape in shocked delight. "Angie! You made it! I thought you wanted to postpone dinner until next week."

Sniffling and taking a breath, Angela spoke quietly, "Yeah, well…I missed my family." Looking over her sister's shoulder, she continued, "All of you."

Her mother gave her a rueful smile. "There's always room for one more."

"You know you're always welcome here, honey. We're sorry we made you feel you weren't." Her father assured, wrapping an arm around her and bringing her inside.

Although still shaken, Angela dared to hope that maybe she could get past all this and forget the whole thing ever happened.

**1 year later**

10 minutes ago

"Great. Really f*cking great."

Angela Roth was currently making her way through the crowded Gotham streets in a torrential downpour with her shrieking 'bundle of joy' in tow.

Unlike she had naively thought, her dinner with her family after the Incident was not a turning point. As soon as they had found out she was pregnant, she was the black sheep all over again. Having sex out of wedlock was bad enough, but once they heard it was a one-night stand it was like she was 16 all over again. When asked about the father's identity, all she could really say was that he was out of the picture and she had no way of finding him. She didn't even know his…its name.

None of these were really lies but her family still got the sense she was hiding something from them. But it wasn't like she could tell her Bible-thumping parents that she was impregnated at a demon summoning. Much less by the actual demon.

Everything had happened so fast and so strangely that she couldn't even explain it to herself. Despite feeling as if she'd had a lifetime with that monster, almost no time had passed in the real world.

She had been all but ready to call it a wild fever dream when she discovered she was pregnant. Her parents would kill her if she got an abortion. She tried drinking and smoking more heavily than before. She'd even thrown herself off a pair of steps. No matter what she did, she couldn't get rid of this baby. Some nights, she could've sworn she saw the demon's four eyes flickering on her stomach.

Without Randy and Maria helping her pay for rent, Angela had needed to leave school and get a full-time job. She barely scraped by just to afford a ratty apartment. Adding a baby to that only made the struggle harder. So she couldn't say it was too big of a surprise when she found an eviction notice on her door. During her maternity leave that she couldn't really afford to take, she'd been told that she was fired due to never reporting the police investigation that had ensued when Randy and Maria had mysteriously went missing.

For months, she had been too proud too and hurt by her family to get their help. She hadn't seen them since the birth of her child. Alice, who normally would check on her, had grown busy with a promising life of her own. Naturally, when Angela finally grew the nerve to call her, her phone service was cut off. So, she had to take herself and her screeching child someplace warm for the night. Humiliating as it was, The Park Row homeless shelter would have to do. She knew she had hit a new low when she looked up its location months ago, suspecting she'd end up here one day.

Finally getting to her intended location, she pounded on the door, shivering and certain she looked like a wet rat.

An older woman answered the door, looking morose. "I'm sorry, honey. We're filled _past_ capacity tonight."

"Please, if I could just sit for a minute…I…I'm so tired." She confessed.

Reaching behind her, the woman pulled out an umbrella. "For now, this is all I can give you. I'm truly sorry. Maybe if you come back in the morning…"

"Forget it!" Angela shrieked, running down the stoop.

Ducking into an alleyway, Angela finally sat down, soaked and chilled to the bone, glaring at her child who still wouldn't shut up.

Much as it would have hurt her pride, Angela wished she was home right now with her parents. She was beginning to regret leaving in the first place. Reaching down her shirt, she pulled out her last memento from home. Her mind drifted back to that night, the last time she saw Alice…

"_I have a present for you."_

"_Oh yeah?" Opening the box, she smiled. "You know me so well."_

"_Well, I know how much you love Poe. Figured it was apropos."_

Her reverie was cut off by another wail from her baby.

Gritting her teeth, Angela held her grey-skinned, purple-haired demon spawn away from her as if she were a disease.

She couldn't help but see this…_thing_ as a reminder of all her problems. She wished she hadn't been so stupid. She was 21, nowhere near ready to have a child. She couldn't help but think her life would be so much easier without the little complication in her hands.

Eyeing a dumpster to her right, she opened the hatch and held her daughter over it for a few tantalizing seconds, trembling.

Her mistake was looking the infant in the face. Her innocent, confused expression melted her. She pulled her to her chest and sat down again, whispering, "I'm sorry."

_Oh, God, somebody help me._

Suddenly, as if an answer to her silent prayer, a flash of white light illuminated the darkness.

"Angela Roth."

Squinting, she saw three human forms step out. Any features she could've made out were obscured by the all-encompassing cloaks they wore.

"W-who are you?"

As the light died down, the figures pulled back their hoods, revealing that they were indeed human. A woman with auburn hair and round green eyes stepped forward first. The man to her left had a gray beard and mustache to go with a receding hairline. The man on the right was blonde and a lot younger.

"I am Galya." The woman introduced herself, approaching as if she were trying not to scare off a wild animal. "This is Juris and Tynan. We are children of Azarath."

"And Azarath is?" Angela quirked an eyebrow.

"A magical place."

"Sure it is."

"I say it quite literally. It is a peaceful realm sustained by the power of our mistress Azar."

"O-kay. I'll take your word for it."

"You do not have to take our word for it. We can show you." The one known as Juris spoke up.

"The world? Shining, shimmering, splendid?"

He frowned. "I…suppose so, yes."

"Never mind. I appreciate the offer, but I think we're fine." She said, scooping up her finally calm daughter.

She turned to walk away and forget this conversation ever happened when the other male spoke: "You want to know your child's true nature, don't you?"

She paused and turned back. "I'm guessing you have all the answers, right?" She asked skeptically.

"I don't. But Azar does. Only she holds the answers you seek."

"Tynan speaks the truth. We are here because she has requested an audience with you." Galya informed her.

"And what does Azar the Great and Powerful want from me?"

"To aid and educate you in the raising of your child."

"And what does she know about my daughter that I don't?!" Angela asked, indignantly.

"More than you know." Juris answered cryptically.

"Y'know, as fun as all this sounds, I have a life to get back to."

"And what life is that? Homeless, friendless, purposeless? What other options do you have, Angela?"

As much as she hated to admit it, he had a point.

"This 'Azar' chick better live up to the hype."

"Is that a yes?"

"Take it or leave it." Stepping closer, she ventured, "So how does this work? Do you click your heels three times or do you have a magic wand…?"

"Not exactly. Brace yourself." The three joined hands, murmuring a chant under their breath. Abruptly, in unison, they exclaimed, "AZARATH METRION ZINTHOS!"

Angela hardly had time to blink before she was whisked away into…(Even the Disney lover in her hated to say it)…a whole new world.

They were at the gate of a great city littered with aqueducts and walkways. There were tall spires and a cathedral in the center. People in robes were milling about all over. Turning behind her, Angela gasped. There was nothing there but an endless void to nowhere. The city was anchored on a floating rock in the middle of literally nothing. There were people praying and meditating on every street corner.

"Welcome to Azarath." Tynan announced.

As they entered, a crowd began to form, spouting rapid-fire questions and furtive glances their direction.

Angela couldn't figure out what the big deal was about her arrival although it looked like the throng weren't as concerned with her as they were with her baby.

Before she could ask why, a new voice boomed in, overpowering all others.

"Ms. Roth. I'm glad you could join us."

Angela wheeled behind her to face a 9-foot-tall female pulsating with energy. Her hair was dark and her features sharp. It looked as if nothing escaped this woman's notice. She was dressed similarly to the others but her face was emanating with golden light underneath as if she were holding back from showing her true form.

Sensing that their guest was speechless, the goddess took the plunge. "I am Azar, leader of the monks of Azarath."

"I…" Noting how her voice squeaked, Angela cleared her throat and started again, "…I heard you wanted to talk to me."

"Indeed. We have much to discuss. Come. Sit." She commanded, gesturing to the edge of a nearby fountain.

Although following orders had never been her strong suit, Angela knew it was best to do whatever this…woman…told her.

"Galya, Tynan, prepare and some dinner for our guest and. I'm sure Angela is famished. The rest of you, leave us."

Once they were alone, Angela finally asked the big question: "So, not to be rude, but why the hell did you bring me here?"

"Because of what you hold in your arms."

"What are you talking about? What's wrong with my daughter?"

"I think you know as well as I do."

A look into the being's face told Angela that she knew. "So you…? You know what that…" She lowered her voice conspiratorially. "…that _thing_ was?"

"Who and what it was. He was the demon Lord Trigon the Terrible."

Angela wanted to laugh but was afraid it would turn into a scream. "You're saying a…a demon lord raped and impregnated me? I literally birthed a demon spawn?"

"I'm afraid so." Azar answered, eyeing her baby with a mixture of pity and mistrust.

"So what does this mean? Is she going to grow horns and fangs? Or have four eyes?"

"Hardly. The child has inherent mystical ability, though. The ritual you underwent to become Trigon's bride imbued you with some of your own. But due to her parentage, your daughter's is much more powerful than your own."

"So you're saying I'm a wizard?"

"Sorcerer is a better term. I am saying you have the potential as do all of my children who study under my tutelage."

"So this whole 'bride' thing? Is there a way to annul that?"

"I'm afraid not. Trigon has attempted to have a female bear his child for centuries. Some miscarry, by happenstance or on purpose. For others, the physical and mental strain is too much. Still more end their lives rather than endure such horror. Still others let the child die or do the deed themselves. You are the first in many centuries to birth a child of Trigon, let alone decide to keep it."

"What's the worst that could happen? You said she won't turn into a monster, right?"

"That remains to be seen." She uttered cryptically. "There is a prophecy, Angela. Trigon will do all he can to ensure it comes true."

"Is he coming here?"

"He couldn't even if he wanted to. He is sealed away in an alternate plane of existence. A hellish domain that he has made his kingdom. Millenia ago, my children and I sealed him within the Great Door. We lost many of our number that day but the cost was worth it. Trigon's power rivals my own. I fear should he gain more followers, he would surpass me."

"And this Great Door is super far away, right?"

"Not at all." Gesturing to the void in the distance, she informed her, "It's right there."

"WHAT?!"

"I believe the Earth expression is 'keep your friends close, and your enemies closer'."

"Does he know we're here?"

"If he doesn't, he shall soon."

"And then what?"

"The prophecy begins."

"And what is this prophecy?"

"In short: Trigon's child will free him from his prison and enable him to enslave and decimate the cosmos."

"But why?"

"Trigon has a talent for corrupting souls. Such as your friends, The Church of Blood."

Realization dawned on her. "I never thought it was actually real." She said quietly.

"Until it was too late. Trigon's Church on Earth is his greatest stronghold. For countless eons, Brother Blood and his family have served him. It is where they draw their power from."

Digesting that information, Angela questioned, "So what do you want me to do?"

"It's too late to slay the child. Now that she is a few months old, Trigon has become aware of her. Even from his imprisonment, his influence has sway. He will do all he can to preserve her until she is of age to free him and rule by his side."

"Let me guess: 16?"

"18."

"At 18, I was playing beer pong and making fake IDs. That's too young to be destroying the world." Shaking her head, she marveled, "God, I sound like my mother."

"I requested your presence here to inform you of the situation. Once it became apparent you were keeping the girl, I saw fit to intervene. I am asking you to place her under our care."

"You want me to abandon her?"

"I want to teach her our ways. To guide her in meditation, peace, and tranquility. Trigon thrives on the raw emotions of the weak-willed. We need to safeguard this child as early as possible. She will become one of us. We can train her to use her abilities in order to repel Trigon when the time comes. She has the potential to be our greatest threat or our greatest asset. I'd prefer it to be the latter."

Clutching her baby closer, Angela swore, "I'm not giving her up."

"Angela, you were on the verge of killing her and yourself less than 10 minutes ago. You are broken down and helpless. You are not in the right frame of mind to raise and protect this child."

"Then teach me!" She blurted out. "Look, I've got nothing to return to on Earth. This kid right here is all I've got. I don't care if she's half-demon or a destroyer of worlds, or whatever. She's my girl and I won't leave her." Kneeling down on a knee, she petitioned, "I would be honored if you would make me one of your acolytes, Azar. Please allow me to stay here and raise my child."

"Very well. From this day forth, you are no longer Angela Roth. I shall call you Arella. Tell me: what is your child's name?"

The newly christened Arella smiled and fingered the pendant around her throat.

"Raven."

13 years later

"Ah, Raven. What kept you?"

The young woman Azar addressed entered in her typical attire. A blue cloak with a black leotard with a clasp and belt of red gems.

"I apologize, Mistress. I was caught up in a good book." With a cold, formal nod, she acknowledged the other presence in the room. "Mother."

"Raven." Arella awkwardly returned. She hated the distance that had been put between them but knew it was for the best.

Ever since she had become a monk of Azarath, she'd been keeping an eye on Raven but never really gotten the chance to know her. Azar and others did the job of teaching Raven right and wrong, good and evil.

From the day she could talk, her destiny had been a Sword of Damocles hanging over her head. By now, she was well aware of the prophecy and her role in it.

While she was eternally grateful to Azar and her people for saving her and Raven, she was worried that Raven had and knew nothing else. She was the only child in Azarath and all her days were consumed by meditation and mitigating her emotions. She spent more time with Azar and their spiritual leaders than she did her own mother. It had been years since Raven had needed to be bathed, fed, and clothed. Of course, wearing the same robes every day helped in that last regard.

Due to a mixture of her own guilt and journey for inner peace, she and Raven had never been particularly close. They certainly weren't enemies. Far from it. Her daughter was the most respectful and well-behaved child she could have asked her. Quite unlike her in her own youth. But there wasn't any real warmth in their relationship. They simply did their daily routines and skirted around each other as much as possible. Neither knew how to break the ice and neither particularly cared to. They had their own paths to follow.

Still, she couldn't say it didn't hurt a little that the 9-foot-tall deity to her right was more of a mother to her own child than she had ever been.

"You have been summoned today, child, because your mother and I have begun to notice some disconcerting tendencies you've begun to pick up. You've exhibited resentment, envy, unrest. You're becoming imbalanced, Raven."

"I don't understand."

"Stealing extra dinner portions, missing morning meditation, asking questions about romance and other such things that don't concern you. Arella tells me she knows the reason."

"Raven…you're going through puberty." Arella told her gently.

"What?"

"You're 13, it's perfectly normal. Being a teenager means you're supposed to be moody, self-centered, have boy troubles, eat like a pig, and lock yourself in a room. It's perfectly normal." Her mother assured her.

"The problem is that you are not normal." Azar cut in. "And you cannot afford to be. You're well aware of what you are and the role you must play."

"Yes, Mistress."

"I will admit it to be a failing on my part that while we have taught you the difference between good and evil and how to control your emotions, it has never truly been your choice. You have not had your virtues and morals put into practice much less tested in the world outside Azarath. Trigon would love nothing more than to use this vulnerable period of your life as the perfect time to influence you. Only light can combat the darkness which fights for your soul. Thus, your mother has devised a solution."

Raven looked expectantly, curious as to what her mother had in mind.

Clearing her throat, Arella took the plunge. "Raven, I think that you should go home."

"I am home. Aren't I?" She questioned, quirking an eyebrow.

"I mean…back to our home world. Back to Earth. I want you to live with your Aunt Alice. She's the best person I've ever known. If you're looking for a source of light to help you with right and wrong, she's the right woman for the job."

"And where do I find her?" Raven hesitantly asked.

"We had an idea about that." Fishing something out of her cloak, Arella pressed it into her daughter's hand. "This pendant is what you were named for. Alice gave it to me the last time I ever saw her."

Raven opened her hand and gave it a scrutinizing glance. It wasn't anything particularly special, just a silver raven encased in a circle hanging off a chain.

"Using your abilities, you should be able to sense and track down her location." Azar explained. "The original owner's essence should still be tied to it. Although limited, my vision has shown me that she resides in a place known as Jump City, California. Your mother confirmed as much. I can transport you into the vicinity but I cannot divine Alice's precise location. Using the pendant, you will have to find her yourself."

Processing the information, Raven inquired, "Is Mother coming with me?"

"No." Azar quickly responded. "Due to the nature of her absence, Arella's sudden return would only cause unnecessary strife for you and your family. It would not be conducive to the peace you seek. You are being sent to Earth which will serve as a proving ground for what we've taught you. We must see how you fare without our guidance. Your mother's presence would hinder more than help."

"To be honest, I'm not sure I even want to go back. There's a lot of baggage there. At the best of times, my relationship with my family was strained. But I don't want that for you." Thinking for a moment, she mused, "It's funny. I feel like I'm sending you away to school or summer camp."

"Which is?"

"Never mind. The point is, you can do this, Raven. And you can trust Alice. I'm sure she'll take care of you. Just tell her that you're Angela's daughter. When she sees the pendant, she'll know I sent you. Do you have any questions?"

Swallowing down her trepidation, she asked, "When do I leave?"

"After morning meditation tomorrow." Azar stated. "I trust you will not be late?"

"No, Mistress."

"Good. Sleep well, child." Standing, she nodded to her other acolyte. "Arella."

"Mistress." She nodded in return.

With Azar's exit, Arella and Raven were awkwardly left alone.

"Raven, I…no matter what happens, I just want you to be happy."

Hesitating for a moment, Raven answered. "I've always been content here, Mother."

"That's not the same as being happy."

"Happy's apparently dangerous for me." Raven answered, trying to keep the bitterness and frustration out of her voice.

"You have at _least _5 more years to find that out for a teenager isn't easy. I remember what it was like for me. Obviously, I didn't turn out the best but my parents did what they could. They weren't perfect people. But I was hardheaded and stubborn. If I'd listened to them more then…"

"Then maybe I wouldn't have been born and you wouldn't have been stuck here."

"That's not what I'm trying to say, Raven."

"I'm tired, Arella. I'll see you in the morning."

With that, Raven stood and walked out of the room.

"I guess the apple doesn't fall from the tree." Arella sighed.

**The next morning**

Raven stood on the edge of Azarath, staring into the abyss, steeling herself for the task she had been given.

"Are you ready, child?" Azar cut through her thoughts.

"As I'll ever be."

"Unless it is an emergency, you are not to return here. Should such an emergency arise, reach out to me and I will retrieve you. On each birthday, I will reach out to you and you will inform me of your progress. When your 18th birthday draws near, I want you here to prepare for the upcoming battle. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"The future of the cosmos rests in your hands, Raven. Do not fail us."

Azar then stretched out her arm, creating a portal to Earth.

Raven took a breath and turned to step through before a voice stopped her.

"Wait." Arella stepped forward, fighting to keep her emotions back. "I know we won't see each other for a while. You're going to have an amazing life with Alice. Trust me. I just want you to know I'm proud of you and…I love you."

Before she could change her mind, she lunged forward and wrapped her arms around her daughter.

Momentarily in shock, Raven couldn't remember the last time her mother hugged her. Awkwardly, she raised her arms and stiffly returned the embrace.

"Goodbye."

With that farewell, the woman released her daughter and stepped away.

Giving her mother a grateful look that said more than she could convey with words, Raven took a deep breath, turned and walked through the portal.

**Author's Note**

**Happy Halloween, everybody! I hope this was suitably dark and creepy for the occasion. This is Part 1 of a 5-part Prologue.**

**To kick this off, I have to give big credit to Hanna Sedai for her stories Dust and Northern Star, especially the latter which sparked my idea about writing a Teen Titans FanFiction in the first place.**

**Another major shoutout has to go to Nomad88 whose Spider-Man and Batman Beyond stories i highly recommend. His stories were my first exposure to well-written action and long-form plot on this site.**

**Also, mad kudos to the original cast and crew of the 2003 Teen Titans for giving us one of the best cartoons ever.**

**I have to give major props to Marv Wolfman and George Perez for their incredible work on the 1980s Teen Titans comics that inspired the show and made the Titans awesome. Their story about how they got the job is amazing and they clearly made the most of it.**

**Finally, shoutout to Geoff Johns for making the Titans cool again with his 2003 revival of the comic book. I love almost anything Geoff writes but his Teen Titans run was especially awesome and captured me from the second I started reading it.**

**And a THOUSAND thank yous to my first reviewer for letting me know that this came out as 'code soup' so I could revise it and make it readable.**

**I've been working on this story for over 2 years now and along with rewatching the show we all love so much, I've been able to read the original New Teen Titans series on Hoopla, a website with hundreds of free comics that I recommend.**

**Last but certainly not least, I have to give the credit and glory to my Lord Jesus Christ for inspiring me and giving me the courage to write and publish this story. Every good gift comes from him.**

**"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."-Colossians 3:17**

**Anywho, this is the story I made a Fanfiction account to write so I hope you all like it and bear with me. It's my first big story, so be gentle. Hope you guys like it.**


	2. Prologue: Part 2-Sins of the Father

"…_Ashes to ashes, dust to dust…"_

"_I'm sorry…"_

"_It'll be all right."_

This and other buzzwords drifted in one ear and out the other of one Victor Stone. They meant nothing to him as he stood over the burial site of his mother.

The only words he was concerned with right now were the ones carved on the headstone:

_Elinore Stone_

_Brilliant, Driven, Determined _

_Loved _

He didn't know how long he would've stood there until he felt a hand on his shoulder: "Son, we should get a move on. It's getting late and I might be expecting some company tonight."

"Of course, Dad. I wouldn't want grieving over the love of your life to get in the way of your _work_." Victor spat out, his voice full of venom.

"You think this is easy for me?! I'm trying not to shut down without your mother here! There's nothing else I can do for her now but keep on living."

Jerking his shoulder away, he replied, "You do that, Dad." He turned and began to walk towards the graveyard entrance.

"And where the hell are you going?!"

Not turning back, Victor replied, "I'll find my own way back. You just keep on living, Dad." He answered with disgust.

Silas Stone sighed and gave his wife's grave one last mournful look before heading for his car.

…

In the glare of the setting sun, Victor Stone could be found sullenly skipping rocks on the shoreline of Jump City Bay.

_Leave it to Dad to not let a little thing like grief stop him from staring down a microscope. Some days, I can't believe I'm related to that bastard._

His thoughts were broken by a feather-light touch on his shoulder.

He looked up to meet the sympathetic eyes of Marcy Reynolds. She was a dark-skinned vision with full lips, curly hair, and hazel eyes that melted him every time.

"Babe, you all right? You've been zoned out all day."

"Yeah, I just…" Victor swallowed hard, trying to tamp down his emotions. "…I miss her, y'know?"

Marcy cupped his cheek and gave it a peck. "Yeah. I know."

He sighed and sat down on a boulder and she sank down with him.

"So what were you thinking about?" She prompted after a long silence.

"The fact that she's gone." His lip curled as if he'd tasted something sour. "And that I'm left with the emotionless void known as Silas Stone."

"Vic, you know she would want you guys to get along without her. If anything, this should make you guys closer."

"Yeah. Emphasis on 'should.' I guess I should be grateful he hasn't drowned me in clichés like everyone else but it'd be nice if he even pretended to reassure me."

"He's probably tied up in his own grief. Give him time."

"He's had over 10 years to take an interest in me." Victor retorted hotly. "But you're right, Mar. Maybe I'm being a little impatient." He scowled, bitterness dripping from him in waves.

"Hey, don't take your bad blood with your dad out on me." She retorted, standing up heatedly. "I was only 'pretending to reassure you'."

He grabbed her hands and gently tugged her back down beside him. "You're right, Marcy. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. Guess I just needed someone to vent to."

"If that's not a cry for help, I don't know what is." A new voice rang out.

The couple looked behind them to find their friend Ron Evers emerging from the park. A similarly buff dark-skinned man with low-cut hair and studs in each air.

"Don't worry, pal. Your best friend is here. Vent away, bro." He smiled, clapping a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Y'know what? I don't even wanna talk about it anymore. I'm done letting my dad dictate my emotional state. I just wanna hang out with my two favorite people in the world and try to take my mind off all this."

"Sounds like a plan, dude." Ron grinned. "You wanna hit up Payton's for some grub?"

"Sure. Long as you're buying."

"Don't push it, Vic-tory."

"C'mon, knuckleheads. I'm starving." Marcy prompted, already making her way to the park entrance.

The two boys trailed behind her as Ron continued quietly, "Seriously, though, man. I'm here for you. I'll miss your Moms too. She probably did more for me than my own did. And don't sweat your Pops. You got me and you got Mar. Who else you need?"

Victor smiled, thinking of their football team's pregame chant. "We all we got…"

"…We all we need." Ron responded, dapping up his friend.

Payton's Grill 'N Chill

Payton's was an intimate diner where everybody in the neighborhood was able relax and unwind over an unhealthy amount of BBQ. The three friends had frequented the joint since before they could remember and walking through the doors never ceased to feel like home. The owner had a large hand in the cozy atmosphere, a man named Khary. He was a bearded bald man, only slightly rotund, with a smile that could light up a room. His apron was stained with grease like usual and he smelled of grease and charcoal as he always had. He was so busy wiping down tables that he hadn't even noticed the trio of teens coming his direction.

"Khary, hey!" Marcy called out, grabbing his attention.

"Marcy! Good to see you, girl." The owner called out, stepping from behind the counter to embrace her.

Looking behind her, his grin widened. "And my two favorite boys. Mega-Ron and Vic-tory Stone!"

The man wrapped his arms around their shoulders, guiding them to their favorite booth in the restaurant.

"I'm guessing you'll all have the usual?"

"We become that predictable, huh, Mr. P?" Ron smirked.

"Well, when you order the same things since you were 8 years old, it tends to stick. Be right back." Cupping his hands in the direction of the kitchen, he called back to his staff. "BUMPER, ZENO, RAY! Rev up those fryers! Our favorite customers are hungry and ready to eat!"

Satisfied with their muffled responses, Khary nodded and then sat down with his patrons. "So, Vic, uh…how you holdin' up?"

Victor's face darkened as his bad mood threatened to resurface. "As well as I can, I guess. The doctors called it CFS. They're not entirely sure what caused it. they said it could've been anything. Environmental factors, genetics, stress…"

"Hey." The restauranteur spoke out. "I know that look, Victor. Don't go blaming yourself."

"I don't. At least, I try not to. Part of me feels like Dad had a hand in it too. He's not exactly the easiest guy to work with. Always demanding, pushing. I'd hate to think what that did to her."

Before he could pursue that line of thinking any further, their food was brought to their table.

"Well, eat up and cheer up, kid." Khary implored him. "And don't worry about paying. It's on the house."

"Khary…" Victor interjected.

"Uh-uh. It's free of charge and that's final. It's the least I can do."

"Thanks, man. For all you've done for me."

"Well, I can't do my favorite customers dirty, now can I? I'll be in the back in case you guys need me."

30 minutes later

"Thanks, guys. You helped me more than you know."

"What else are we here for?" Ron enveloped his best friend in a bro hug. "Night, man. Text me when you get home safe."

"Will do."

"Alright, Marcy." Ron nodded at the girl.

"Night, Ron." She called as he walked into the night.

"Walk me to the bus stop?" Marcy prompted, grabbing hold of Victor's arm.

"Sure." He smiled down at her fondly.

As they began their trek, Marcy continued, "You know, when the three of us are together at college in the fall, all of this is gonna feel like a distant memory. I'll miss it."

"Yeah. Me too. But hey, we'll all be together. That's what matters. I'm just glad she saw me graduate before…" He trailed off, his voice growing thick with emotion.

She stopped walking and in doing so, made him do the same.

She reached up to cup his face and spoke gently, "You know she's proud of you. And so am I."

He didn't know how to voice the love he had for in that moment but he hoped the kiss he leaned down and gave her said enough. "Thanks, Mar."

20 minutes later

"Alright, babe, here comes my bus. You sure you'll be all right?"

"Yeah." Victor smiled. "You've got a bus to catch. I'll see you tomorrow."

Even after she boarded, they kept eye contact until her bus was out of sight.

Sighing, he began the lonely trek home.

Stone residence

Victor lay wide awake on his bed, hands over his face. With the turmoil brewing inside him, sleep was hard to come by.

He heard the front door open and his father's voice rang out, "Victor? Son, you here?"

When his son gave no answer, Silas sighed. "I can see your shoes outside the door. Look, are you coming out or what? I just wanted to know if you wanted to…I don't know, talk?"

Sighing in frustration, the doctor retreated into his office and slammed the door.

Mirroring his father's agitation, Victor frowned and finally fell into a troubled slumber.

"_Victor…honey, can you hear me?"_

"_I fell asleep? Aw, Mom, I'm sorry. Practice ran a little long today and…"_

"_It's all right." She laughed. "It's been a while since I've seen you sleep. You run around so much, you're beginning to remind me of your father."_

"_Great." He muttered apathetically._

"_Victor, we've talked about this. Your father isn't the monster you make him out to be and you aren't the unfocused slob he thinks you can be."_

"_I know, Mom, but…at least you take an interest in my football career. Coach says I have a real shot at going pro."_

"_You can do anything you set your mind to. Whether it's science or football. You're incredible at both."_

"_I just wish he could see that. Or at least respect my choice, whatever it is. I'm getting tired of his 'subtle' hints at what he thinks is best for me. Football's my thing. I've built my own rep without the shadows of Silas and Elinore Stone over my head." He paused sheepishly. "No offense."_

"_None taken. Believe it or not, I know what it's like to live in your parents' shadow."_

"_But Grandma and Grandpa were playwrights…right?"_

"_They were." She affirmed. "But the stage never interested me. Computers and robotics were my 'thing' and your grandparents thought it was impossible for someone like me to break through in that field."_

"_Someone like…? Oh. You mean being a woman?"_

"_Among other things. Coming from a small town. Being black. Inexperienced." _

"_So what'd you do?"_

"_I realized I had to go my own way. As much as I love my parents, I knew if I stayed with them my dreams would have died a slow and painful death. Settling for less would have been the easy thing to do. Maybe even the smart thing. But ever since I pursued that degree, I've never thought it was the wrong move. There were times I wanted to quit and run back home with my tail between my legs. But if I did that, I didn't know if I'd ever get another try. As fate would have it, I met a handsome young man who was studying in my field." _

_Victor smiled, being able to guess where the story went from here._

"_And ever since I agreed to go on a date with him, I've never felt that was the wrong move, either. After all, if I hadn't made that choice, I never would've had you."_

_Fighting back the lump in his throat, her son replied, "And I'm so glad I have you. So please don't go. Keep fighting."_

"_I'll do all I can, Victor. But if I don't…" She halted, blinking back tears of her own._

"_Mom, don't talk like that. You're not going anywhere."_

"_Just hear me out, baby. When I'm gone, I need you and your father to stay together. I don't want you two to grieve alone. Promise me you'll work it out."_

"_Mom, I…"_

_The pleading look in her eyes said more than words could._

"_I promise."_

_CRACK!_

Victor's eyes snapped open. The torrential downpour outside made the world outside look like a formless chasm waiting to swallow him up.

Drawing his knees up to his bare chest, Victor let out shuddery breaths that eventually turned to quiet sobs.

He didn't know how he was going to be able to keep it together without his mother being the buffer between he and his father.

But he knew he owed it to her to try.

Reaching to his nightstand, he flicked on his lamp and looked at a family photo taken in simpler times. Before the arguments. Before the tension. Before his mom was gone.

Still, if there was any hope of bringing back the smiling Silas Stone grinning back at him from the photo, Victor was willing to give it a shot.

…

"Dad?" Victor called out, padding down the hall towards his father's study.

A voice that definitely wasn't his father was speaking: "…yes, the technology you gave us to deal with the Kaznian rebels worked exceptionally well. However, the progress report isn't the only reason I dropped by. I have to ask…how are things progressing with Project: Cyborg?"

"Look, Mr., ah…"

"Darhk. Damien Darhk."

"Right. This really isn't a good time. I just buried my wife today and my son-"

"Is the least of your worries, Dr. Stone. You know who I work with. And I can tell you from personal experience that he is not a very patient man. The devastation your devices have enabled us to wreak in Qurac and Bialya is nothing short of extraordinary. But you promised us they were placeholders for what we really want."

"It's still experimental. It wouldn't be safe for whoever the test subject would be."

"Safety is not one of my concerns, Doctor. Our organization has scores of worker-bees willing to lay down their lives for our cause. I want to see results, progress. We're getting a little restless. I understand these things take time but…you don't have forever. Just keep that in mind."

Silas had to hold back a shudder as Darhk patted his shoulder and made to go.

Seeing a shadow outside the doorway gave him pause.

Turning back to the scientist, he added, "And another thing to keep in mind: I don't like eavesdroppers. It's just plain rude."

Realizing he was discovered, Victor ran, snatching his father's car keys on his way out the door.

As he peeled out of the driveway, he faintly heard his father's voice calling, "VICTOR! Wait!"

_Damn, damn, damn._ Victor thought to himself, flying down the road with no particular destination in mind. _When Dad said he had company, I didn't know he meant psycho terrorist company. Mom would never be involved in something like this. _

Before he knew it, Victor was on the freeway overlooked by the mountains. Making twists and turns was tricky on this stretch of road, especially going uphill in the pounding rain when he could barely think straight.

When the road leveled out, he caught a glimpse of a crack of lightning flashing over the ocean to his left. But he had bigger issues at the moment than inclement weather.

Whoever that 'dark' guy was, he was a total creep. Victor didn't even want to know who he worked for. Just how deep into this was his father? He knew Silas liked to keep his secrets but he never would've imagined he'd be involved in anything criminal.

Despite the flood of new information, Victor's adrenaline rush was beginning to wear off. He let out a yawn and when his vision readjusted, he realized he had begun veering towards the middle of the road. Shaking out the cobwebs, Victor made to get to the right side of the road when he heard a sputtering sound. With a final gasp, the car died.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no." Victor groaned, slamming his head on the steering wheel. "This can't be happening."

For all the times his father had nagged _him_ about it, the man himself had apparently forgotten to put gas into his own vehicle.

With a growl, Victor jumped out of the car. He crossed the median to the railing overlooking the coastline, defiantly glaring into the storm.

Naturally, he'd neglected to bring a hoodie with him, so he was freezing in sweats and a beater.

Tired, stressed, and hurt beyond belief, Victor began punching the railing until his knuckles started to bruise. With a final roar and a kick, he stalked back to the car and plopped inside, his face in his hands.

A vibration from his pocket gave him pause. Leering down at it, he recognized the caller ID: _Dad._

Victor wanted to crush his phone into pieces before stopping himself. Sighing, he begrudgingly lifted his finger to hit the answer button when a bright light blinded him.

To his horror, Victor realized a semi-truck was barreling toward him and he and his vehicle were smack-dab in the middle of the road.

With a cry of alarm, he dove into the backseat and covered his head.

If pressed for an answer, Victor could never truly recount what happened next. All he could remember was the horrible screeching of metal and the pain that set his world ablaze.

Later, The reports would say the accident became a major pile-up. A fuel tank had been ruptured. There was a fireball. 6 hospitalized. 4 dead, including the unfortunate young man in the middle of the road. Or so it seemed…

3 weeks later

"Victor? Son? Can you hear me?"

With a grunt, he cracked an eye open.

Victor. Yeah, that was his name. All he could seem to remember was pain. Flashes came back rapidly. A stormy night. A truck coming his way. A gurney. Blood. So much blood. Worried voices.

"How are you feeling?" His father's voice broke his train of thought.

"Like I got hit by a truck." Victor muttered, closing his eye again.

"That's to be expected." His father answered, his voice shaking. "Considering you were."

"How long have I been out?"

"A few weeks."

"Are…" He struggled to sit up, his limbs unexpectedly clunky and heavy. "…Mar and Ron coming?"

"Victor, I think you should rest a while longer. There's something I have to tell you…"

"What, you and your buddy Damien going on a cruise?"

"Victor, hush up about that." His father hissed sharply.

"WHY?!" Victor exploded, before regretting it as the effort worsened his headache. Quietly, he continued, "For all your faults, I never imagined you were a criminal."

"I'm not." His father retorted defensively. "Look, that's not important right now. You really need to know something."

"That my father's a liar and a weapons dealer? I think I put the pieces together, Dad."

"Damn it, Victor, listen to me!"

"I'm tired of listening to you! I'm sick of you telling me what to do!" Opening his eyes, Victor was surprised to find his vision tinged with red. Shrugging it off, he pushed himself up to observe his surroundings.

To his surprise, he wasn't in a hospital. He was surrounded by S.T.A.R. Labs equipment and hardware that he'd been familiar with his whole life.

"You brought me to the lab?! What am I, a science project?"

"Son, please…"

"What, Dad?!"

Sighing, his father reluctantly pulled a mirror from his workstation and held it up to his face.

At first, Victor couldn't even comprehend that he was looking at himself. And once he did, he immediately regretted it.

Silas Stone's expression wrenched with pain as his son's wail of anguish echoed through S.T.A.R. Labs and to the depths of his very soul.


	3. Prologue: Part 3-Animal(s) I Have Become

**The Congo, 7 years ago**

The Congo Rainforest is a tropical paradise teeming with life and wonder. In an outpost within its heart, one Dr. Samuel Register was too busy to notice any of that. He was a man on a mission. A mission being complicated by a rich couple and their tagalong son. Said tagalong was in his room, playing with some meaningless stuffed toy. He'd managed to convince the boy to keep the noise to a minimum. If he'd had his way, no one under the age of 30 would be allowed on this trip. Unfortunately for the doctor, he needed the funding and his "superiors" had assigned the Logans to aid him which meant they went nowhere without bringing their little brat along. For once, he had a moment's peace which was shattered when the front door was pushed open, the shrill tone of Garfield Logan greeting his eardrums once the boy knew his parents had returned.

"Anything?" Register sighed without turning around.

"Dr. Register, we're looking as hard as we can. Are you sure the Cercocebus Viridus even exists?"

"Undoubtedly." He responded, not even bothering to look up from his work.

Shrugging off his cold demeanor with an easy smile, Mark Logan went to the far corner to set aside their equipment.

His wife, Marie Logan, excitedly trotted over to her son, teasingly asking Register, "I trust you and Garfield had a good time?"

"Oh, naturally." He glanced up, voice dripping with distaste.

It was no secret to anyone but Garfield that Dr. Samuel Register wasn't the biggest fan of a child spending his days playing around sensitive equipment on a project he'd spent years working on.

"I'm not sure what to tell you, Sam…" Mark sighed, throwing his hands up.

"Dr. Register." He corrected him.

"…Dr. Register. But we've looked everywhere from the Rwenzori Mountains to Cyangugu."

Behind him, he heard his son laughing at the name as always and he felt tempted to join in.

Dr. Register didn't look nearly as amused, judging by the cold stares he gave both of them.

Clearing his throat, he continued, "Anyway, I think we might have to give up the search. Maybe it was a myth after all."

"No! I'm telling you, I saw it. The Green-Capped Mangabey is out there somewhere. It's not exactly common, so it's blood must have some special properties we can analyze. We could become rich off of this discovery."

"If you say so. Truth be told, I'm in this more for the adventure than actually finding anything."

"Well, it's no wonder why we haven't then, is it?"

Turning away with a sigh, Dr. Register rubbed his temples and headed deeper into the cabin. "If anyone needs me, I'll be in my quarters."

"Tell me again, why are we helping him?"

Mark turned to give Marie a quick kiss and then took Garfield from her, hoisting him on his shoulders.

Nodding in the direction of the front door, she followed him outside to the porch where he set Garfield down and gave him permission to play out front as long as he didn't go too far.

Sitting down in their lawn chairs, the conversation continued.

"We always said we wanted to go to Africa. Dr. Register's project gave us an opportunity to do that. Plus, imagine if this thing is real. It'd be an amazing find. Isn't that what we do this gig for?"

"True. I just wish we had a nicer partner with us." Waving a hand in front of her face, she added, "And less bugs."

Chuckling, Mark took her hand and laced his fingers with hers. "Well, Gar seems to love it out here. He's a chip off the old block, if I do say so myself."

"Cornball tendencies and all." He pouted in response, before she leaned over and kissed his nose. "Which is why I love you both."

"Is that all?"'

"Well…you do know how to show a girl a good time."

"Tell Gar that if he asks where babies come from again."

Giggling, she slapped his shoulder before sobering up. "We make a cute kid, don't we?"

"Yeah. Think we should give him a friend?"

"Mmm. As tempting as that sounds…."

Suddenly, her blood ran cold. Call it woman's intuition or maternal instinct. But Marie knew something was wrong.

Standing suddenly, she looked out to the field.

"Mark…where's Garfield?" She asked, worry creeping into her calm tone.

"Damn." He whispered under his breath. Cupping a hand to his mouth, he shouted, "GARFIELD! GAR?! SON, WHERE ARE YOU?!

….

Garfield knew he wasn't supposed to be alone, but it was the monkey's fault, not his.

He had been chasing a butterfly, minding his own business, when he had felt something staring at him from the bushes.

Whatever it was, it seemed to blend in with the veld and melt out of the environment.

A Green Monkey. Garfield had never seen one of those before. Come to think of it, he'd never seen any green animal before.

So, naturally, he had to follow it.

It was a shifty little thing but it finally paused at a clearing near a river. It stared him down almost tauntingly, daring him to come closer.

He lunged for it but before he could blink, it had leapt over his head and disappeared.

He turned in every direction, finding nothing. Confused, the boy was about to walk away when he felt something crawl up on his shoulder.

"Monkey!"

He began petting the creature, glad he'd made a new friend. He couldn't wait to show Mom and Dad.

His thoughts were broken by a searing pain running through his veins. Collapsing and crying out in pain, he watched through tear-filled eyes as the monkey dashed off into the forest with red dripping from its fangs.

As his eyes drifted closed, the last thing he saw was his parents coming towards him.

…..

Dr. Samuel Register was awoken by the slamming of a door and the panic-stricken cries of two parents whose child had obviously done something idiotic.

Putting his hands to his face and groaning, he hauled himself out of bed and got dressed, preparing to chew out his colleagues for their disturbing him.

What he received upon entering the laboratory was a quite interesting sight.

The boy, Garfield, was strapped down to an operating table looking quite worse for wear. Register couldn't help but think the boy should have been strapped down a long time ago for entirely different reasons, but alas.

The Logans hadn't appeared to notice him yet, hovering in the background. He idly looked at the data they had collected from their son's blood and his eyes lit up with intrigue.

The blood samples were clearly infected with primate DNA but unlike any primate he'd analyzed before. It appeared to be in the Cercocebus family. Stealing a glance at the unconscious child, he noticed the boy was looking rather green around the gills. _Very_ green.

"You found it, didn't you?!" Register exclaimed, terrifying the concerned parents. "The Cercocebus Viridus."

Turning back to his son, Mark replied, "We didn't. Garfield did."

"So it appears." The doctor said, staring at the child as if he wanted to dissect him but at the same time didn't want to touch him with a ten-foot pole.

"It looks like he was bitten." Marie spoke out. "The infection's spreading rapidly. Do you have any idea on how we can reverse the process?"

"This is all uncharted territory for me, Mrs. Logan. Perhaps if we cannot save Garfield, it is best if we learn what we can from this and…"

A slap to the face stopped him in his tracks. "My son is not a lab rat. He's a little boy with his whole life ahead of him. I don't give a damn about learning anything about this except how to fix it."

Mark put a hand on his wife's shoulder, whose eyes were shining with rage and pain.

Rubbing his sore cheek, Dr. Register bit out, "Do you at least have an idea where the creature might have gone?"

Marie seemed to want to lash out again but Mark pulled her back. "Garfield was bitten by the river half a mile southwest of here. Does that help you?"

"Indeed it does, Mr. Logan. Seeing as I'm not needed here, I do believe I'll start searching."

"You bastard! You're not going to stay and help?"

"Oh, Marie, what help could I be to two world-class scientists? I'm sure under your care young Garfield will be as fit as a fiddle in no time."

On that note, he turned to take his equipment and head out the door.

As the door swung shut, Marie asked her husband, "Why would you bother to help that creep out?"

"I needed him out of the way. Our focus should be on Gar. Sam was getting in the way of that."

"You're right. I'm sorry."

Kissing her temple, he answered, "Don't be. I'm scared too." Shifting into business mode, he asked, "What's your prognosis?"

Wetting her lips, she answered shakily, "At the rate this is spreading, he'll be dead within the day. Any ideas?"

Looking down into his wife's eyes, a crazy option came to him. "It's stupid."

With a watery laugh, she answered, "Mark, our son's been bitten by a green monkey. Whatever you say can't sound that stupid."

Giving her a small smile, he explained, "If we can't flush this out of Gar's system…why don't we counteract it with something else?"

"Such as…?"

He moved to another workbench and began pulling out test tubes and beakers. "Over our time here, we've collected plenty of animal DNA samples. What if we…God, I sound like a mad scientist…but what if we inject them into him?"

"WHAT?!"

"Just hear me out. Register said the locals rumored the Green Monkey's blood to be the key to universal immunity, right? If that's true, the influx of the other DNA should slow down and hopefully stave off this…'Green Fever'. But at the same time, the Monkey's blood will keep him alive and fight off the other animal DNA from killing him. I know it sounds crazy, but I don't know if we have any other options."

Marie took her son's hand and looked back to her husband. "Let's try it."

…..

Even at night in Africa, it was still hot and steamy.

Dr. Register shouldered his way in through the front door, hoping that Marie Logan's hysteria had passed. Unfortunately, his efforts to find the Green-Capped Mangabey had been in vain. He supposed that was forgivable if the young lad had given up the ghost. One less nuisance to worry about.

Entering the lab, he couldn't believe what he saw when he walked in.

An exhausted but elated Mark Logan was sitting on the floor, his back to the wall, laughing hysterically.

His wife was next to him, stroking the hair of some green…_thing_.

"What…what is this?"

The creature waved at him, calling, "Hi, Sam!"

Only one person here had the audacity to call him that to his face. Shakily waving back, he answered, "Hello, Garfield."

….

While Marie tucked her son in for the night, Dr. Register still had a few burning questions.

"It appears I underestimated you, Mark. Tell me, how did you do it?"

"I remembered what you said about universal immunity and all that so I got to thinking…we couldn't eliminate the infection so what if we slowed it? We had other animal DNA samples on hand so we diluted those and pumped them into his system. They counteracted the Green Fever but because of its properties the same thing that's killing him also keeps him alive. And apparently green. I guess he always will be unless we can eliminate it from his system for good."

"Brilliant, admittedly. Do you realize what we could do with this knowledge?"

"Actually, Dr. Register, I'd prefer if we keep this a secret." At his colleague's aghast expression, he clarified, "Just for a little while. We need to give him time to adjust before we throw him under the microscope. He's still a child. Besides, we don't know the full extent of the effects. All I'm asking is your patience."

"Very well. Further study certainly couldn't hurt. Goodnight, Mark." Nodding over his shoulder, he added, "Marie."

Mark whipped around to find his wife at his side. "You're not really going to hand Garfield's life over to that man, are you?"

"Of course not. I just told him what he wanted to hear. If I had my way, we'd keep Garfield away from the outside world for as long as we could. We do need to observe him, though. Who knows what this did to him?"

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Marie leaned up to give her husband a deep kiss. "You saved his life today, Mark. That's all that matters."

"We saved his life." He corrected her. "We'll figure this out. Together. Now I don't know about you but I'm beat."

"Same here. Although I hope you have enough stamina for one more nighttime activity…"

With an amorous look, he declared, "Believe me, I always have enough stamina for that particular activity…"

The next morning

When he blearily stumbled into the lab the next morning, Mark noticed something that stopped him in his tracks. The vial of Garfield's blood that they had kept for further study was missing.

"It's gone." He told his wife when she had joined him in the kitchen.

"Gone? But who could've…?" Marie's expression hardened. "Register. That son of a—"

"Mom? Dad?"

Both parents schooled their expressions to masks of calm as they turned to their young son.

"Somebody got a haircut on my covers."

Perplexed, his parents followed him to his room to find green fur all over his bedsheets. Monkey fur.

"Strange. Did the monkey come back?" Mark asked, scratching his head.

"Through locked doors and windows?" Marie responded. "Doubtful."

The rumble of a tiny stomach interrupted their musings.

Lifting his son on his shoulders, Mark teasingly asked, "Somebody's hungry, huh?"

As her husband and son exited the room, laughing along the way, Marie Logan couldn't help but wonder about the source of the sheddings in her son's room.

….

"Hon, have you noticed anything strange about Garfield today?" Marie asked, staring at nothing in particular.

"Well, he's green. But other than that…"

Slapping his arm, she chastised him, "You know what I mean. I'm just worried that there might be other side-effects."

"Like what?"

A flapping of wings alerted them to a cuckoo-hawk exiting their home and landing on the porch before them.

To their shock, the creature was completely green.

"Garfield…?" His father squinted.

In a flash, the bird shifted back into the giggling green form of their naked young son.

"Like that." Marie finally answered in response to her husband's previous question, reaching for her son and cradling him in her arms.

"He…he was playing with a flock earlier. He must've adopted their DNA signatures. I don't know how but…" Mark was too awestruck and confused to finish the thought. "This…this is…" He blanched in terror. "And Register has a sample of his blood."

"They're going to come for him." Marie somberly realized.

"Oh God."

Bukavu

"I'm telling you, Reginald, this blood sample will change everything."

"_Yes, so you've said, Samuel, but if you don't have the actual monkey, then for all we know it could be snake oil. No monkey, no money."_

Gripping the phone tightly, Register growled, "There are people who would pay good money for the information I have, Sanders."

"_Then I suggest you waste their time instead of mine, Register. Good day."_

Roaring in outrage, Dr. Register knew his "friends" in the scientific community weren't going to give him the compensation he deserved.

Very well. There were others in lower places who would pay up.

1 week later

Walking down the narrow alley, Register shuddered in revulsion at the conditions and the depths he'd had to sink to in order to find a willing buyer.

Suspiciously eyeing his surroundings, Register was greeted by the ominous sight of a giant in a trenchcoat.

"Monsieur Mallah, I presume?"

"You presume correctly. My partner is quite interested in your discovery."

"Well, he won't be disappointed."

"Indeed, I hope not." A monotone voice rang out.

Out of the darkness, a mobile unit resembling R2-D2 with a skull and a live brain in a jar wheeled itself into the picture.

"You can't be serious." Register said in dismay.

"You dare disrespect my master?!" Mallah snarled, snatching him up by the collar with his…_ape_ hands.

"What…what is this?! Who are you? A living brain and his pet monkey?"

"I am _the_ Brain. And this is Mallah. We are the Brotherhood." The entity spoke. "Now back to business. Your story sounded quite intriguing. Tell us more about the young Garfield Logan."

…

"…And that's all I know, I swear to you."

"I understand your colleagues' reluctance to believe your story. Were it not for my own unique circumstances, I would be hesitant to take the chance myself. From what I have heard of the Sakutia Virus, the boy would be able to shapeshift into any animal form he desired so long as he has come within range or contact with it."

"Amazing." Register chimed in. "I never dreamed the Mangabey's blood could hold such power."

"Of course not. You think too myopically to grasp such concepts. Naturally, to verify your claims, we would need a test subject. A guinea pig, if you will."

"Who did you have in mind?"

"I believe you will do."

"What?! I don't…I can't…"

"I do not recall asking for your compliancy. Mallah, restrain him."

Gripping him as if he weighed nothing, Mallah hoisted the doctor over his shoulder, dragging him away.

"No! NOOOOO!"

Logan Compound

"Okay, Gar. Think big."

"'Kay, Daddy."

Concentrating with all his might, it was no use. Garfield couldn't turn into a manatee.

His eyes began to flood with tears of shame and disappointment.

Wiping them away, his mother cooed, "It's okay, honey. Remember, this is just for fun. Right?"

"Right." He smiled back.

"Besides, kiddo, you've got the hang of all the birds and a lot of smaller animals. Your Mom and I just wanted to see how far you can go. Like everything else, it just takes a little time. You ready for dinner?"

"Yeah!" The boy chirped back, his mood instantly lifting.

His parents took both his hands, leading him back inside.

The past few weeks, the Logans had been tutoring their young son on the usage of his abilities. So far, he was only able to get the hang of smaller animals and birds. Turning into most carnivores had been a major struggle for him, which was just as well. The last thing Marie wanted to deal with was a tiger running around or a lion dragging in its kill. Garfield really wanted to transform into an ape but the original monkey that bit him was the best he could manage.

They hoped to give Garfield all the time he needed to get a handle on his powers before letting the rest of the world inevitably discover his transformation. They couldn't think of a way to convincingly hide it so the secret would have to come out somehow.

So far, they hadn't heard anything about Dr. Register and his colleagues had told them he'd never returned home. As disconcerting as that was, they were secretly relieved that it meant the secret was safe for a while longer.

Still, they knew it was only a matter of time before someone came calling.

…

As they had suspected, one day their nightmare came true.

It was on a day like any other. The Logan family was outside in the jungle, laughing and playing in the sunshine.

For a moment, they could pretend the danger of the world beyond their shelter was far away and non-existent.

But when an ominous shadow fell over the family of three, they instantly knew that danger was close and all too real.

Looking to the foliage above them, their disbelieving eyes took in a giant ape, wearing a beret of all things with a military sash draped across its chest. It was hanging from a tree branch with one hand and cradling a jar with a skull design on it containing what appeared to be a human brain in the other.

Suddenly, in the brush in front of them, the shadows shifted and a dark-haired woman in a red uniform materialized out of the foliage. To her right, an old man in a military uniform stood as if he'd been there all along.

They were definitely facing down the oddest quartet they'd ever seen

"Professor Logan, I presume?" The jar asked monotonously.

"What do you want?" Mark asked, stepping back as the gorilla dropped from its perch in the trees.

"You are quick to the point, Professor Logan. I admire that. Through a mutual friend of ours, it has come to my attention that the legendary Sakutia virus rests within your son's blood. Acquiring and unlocking its secrets would be a great boon to the work I hope to complete. I'm sure you understand."

"You are _not_ laying a hand on my son." He growled in uncharacteristic anger. "Like I told Register, if you really want the virus, look for the Mangabey yourself. My son is not an option."

"How noble. Dr. Register was not so cooperative either. It did not turn out well for him. I was hoping you would be more so."

"What have you done to him?" Marie broke in.

"He is my possession now. Just as the Sakutia shall soon be."

Marie hugged her son even closer to her at that statement.

"Marie, get behind me." Mark spoke, putting an arm across her chest.

"How noble, Professor Logan. But it won't save you. Hand over the Sakutia and this shall be no more painful than it has to be."

"Take Garfield and run, Marie." He whispered, not taking his eyes off of the monstrosity in the jar.

"Mark…" she whispered back, taking her son's hand. "Don't do this."

"Mallah. Please persuade the Professor."

Suddenly, Mallah staggered back as if he'd been struck by an invisible force.

"Damn." The Brain cursed with no emotion in its voice.

A living shadow appeared out of nowhere and engaged the old man in combat, their dance almost familiar.

A winding purple-clad fist exploded from out of nowhere in the direction of the woman in red but she was prepared for it, catching it and yanking its owner towards them.

"Stand your ground!" The Brain shouted to his acolytes.

"Hey, lil' buddy!" A voice called out. "Remember me?"

Wheeling in the direction of the voice, the Brain was greeted by a hulking orange…

"Robotman…" The villain uttered with warning in his tone. "Do not dare…"

He was cut off by the giant kicking him over as if he were a children's toy.

"C'mon, Brainy, you know I can't resist." The metal man chuckled.

Screeching as if in anger, the Brain lay helplessly like a beached whale unable to get back to his "feet", calling out, "Immortus! Rain fire!"

The old man, "Immortus", pressed a button on his wrist gauntlet, and a drone ship appeared over their heads, unleashing a shower of mini-missiles.

The woman in red knocked her assailant into the crossfire, saying something in Russian.

The man who was psionically attacking Mallah screamed out, "Elasti-Girl!", leaving his foe to run for his master.

"Another day, Mento!" The jar-headed menace called out as Mallah carried him away. "Rouge, Immortus, we're leaving!"

"Rouge" blew a mocking kiss in Elasti-Girl's direction and scurried away.

The shadow morphed into a mummified man in shades who sprinted in the Logans' direction.

Curiously, he wrapped his arms around both of them ordering them to: "Get down!"

As they obeyed, they were amazed to find the shrapnel spreading around them was passing through them as if they weren't there.

"Our son!" Marie called out in fear. "You have to save—"

"Robotman's already on it." The mummy assured her.

In the distance, they could see the iron giant hugging Garfield to his chest, taking the impact of the shelling.

The man known as Mento had a mental force-field surrounding he and Elasti-Girl, keeping them safe from harm.

Finally, the ship above their heads stopped firing and zoomed off, presumably taking their attackers with it.

"You guys all right?" The mummy in shades asked them.

Shakily, they nodded and stood up to see Robotman heading their way, Garfield in tow.

"Here's ya kid, ma'am." He said, placing Garfield into Marie's arms. "I gotta ask: is the green skin a recessive trait or…?"

Trying not to stare too hard at the giant before her, Marie enveloped her awestruck son in her arms, grateful to these strangers for saving their lives.

The man apparently known as Mento walked over their way, Elasti-Girl in tow. "Is everybody all right?"

Hugging his wife and son close to him, Mark nodded in affirmation. "Yes. Thanks to you all."

Nodding back, Mento turned to address his comrades. "Those bastards always seem one step ahead of us. The one time we get the drop on them and…" Shaking his head, he commanded, "Let's move out."

"Wait a minute!" Mark called after them, looking oddly at their leader. "Do I know you from someplace?"

"No, I don't believe so." He answered quickly. "If you'll excuse us, we really have to get going.

Despite the response, Mark knew he'd seen that chiseled jawline somewhere before. _Wait a minute…_

"Steve Dayton!"

The stiffening of his posture told him what he needed to know. "Who?"

"Don't BS me, Steve. We grew up in the same neighborhood and we've frequented the same social circles for years. I know it's you. What's with the costume? Who were those people? Who are you people for that matter?"

"_That_ was the Brotherhood of Evil. I'm Mento. And this…" he gestured behind him, "...is the Doom Patrol."

"Cheery. Can't say I've heard of you, though."

"That's the point. The Doom Patrol thrives on being under the radar. That's the way it works. Mark, you can't tell anyone about this."

"Sure. So long as you don't tell the world about my green son."

"Yeah, what is up with that?" Robotman asked before being elbowed by Negative Man.

Although it didn't hurt, the message was received. "Eh, sorry. But seriously…"

"It's called the Sakutia virus. Or Green Fever for short." Marie broke in. "Crazy as it sounds, he was bitten by a green monkey. The virus should've killed him but we counteracted it with animal DNA. Now he's a shapeshifter."

"And I thought we had some wild stories." Negative Man murmured in surprise.

"I'm guessing this 'Sakutia' is what the Brain wanted, isn't it?" Elasti-Girl asked, looking at the young boy with sympathy.

"Yes." Mark returned his gaze to Steve. "And I'm guessing they'll be back for him."

"Almost certainly."

Looking at his shaken wife and his awestruck son, Mark resolutely replied, "Then we should talk."

**6 months later, The Logan Estate**

**Living Room**

"…_And in the wake of the surprising merger of Dayton Industries and Logan Enterprises, one has to ask the question: why?"_

Muting the TV, Steve Dayton was having the same thoughts.

"I have to confess, Mark…I'm still asking myself the same question." He spoke after a moment.

Worriedly, his friend responded, "I'm telling you, Steve, I just had a feeling. A bad one. I figured if we at least put our resources together now, we can have something left for Garfield when he gets older. Just in case we…" Mark couldn't find it within himself to finish the thought.

Rising up from his position on the couch, Steve was having none of it. "And I keep telling you it won't come to that."

"But if it does…" Mark insisted. "…there's no one else I can trust more than you to handle all this if Marie and I are…"

"What are you two boys talking about?"

The men turned to see Marie and Rita walking into the parlor, platters and glass in tow.

"Just about how lovely our wives are." Steve responded with an easy smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Good answer." Rita smiled as she leaned in to give Steve a peck.

"Brought you gentleman some refreshments, courtesy of Questor." Marie smiled, setting down a platter of hors d'oeuvres and wine.

"Speaking of whom, where is he?" Her husband asked, beginning to snack.

"Trying to stop Cliff and Garfield from tearing up the lawn." She responded, not bothering to hide her smirk.

"Unsuccessfully, I might add." Larry broke in, phasing through the wall. "Ooh, hors d'oeuvres? I hope you all were planning on sharing."

"Larry, we all know you don't have to eat." Steve deadpanned.

"Just keeping you on your toes."

Vernon Questor had been Mark Logan's right-hand man and financial advisor ever since he had first broken into the business world. As much as he loathed being called such, some days he was a glorified housekeeper trying to keep the estate in order while the Logan family was away.

The familiar sound of Questor's exasperated shouting could be heard down the hall along with heavy footsteps and the pounding footfalls of someone running down the hall.

Turning the corner was Garfield with Robotman not far behind him.

"Relax, Vern. What's a couple hedge sculptures here and there?" Cliff was saying as they joined the others.

"Hedge sculptures that cost more than you'll earn in a lifetime." The man sniffed with disdain, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"Honestly, Vernon, it's fine." Mark intervened, waving a hand nonchalantly. "The hedges are replaceable. Besides, it was time for a remodeling anyway."

Reaching down and scooping up his son, Mark cleared his throat. "Anyway, since we're all gathered here, we wanted to tell you all we were planning to go back to Africa. We kind of had to cut the trip short last time."

"Are you sure that's the best idea?" Rita asked, furrowing her brow.

"Rita, we're going somewhere different this time. The place is called Upper Lamumba. We met some good friends there who we'll be staying with. We're only giving you the village's location."

"You'd trust us with that?" Steve asked.

"I'm trusting you with my fortune and my son's life. Besides, you're superheroes. Who could be more trustworthy? Plus, it doesn't hurt that you're Garfield's godfather."

Smiling at the boy, Steve answered, "All right. When do you leave?"

"In about a week. You and Questor already have the necessary instructions. We'll be fine."

**Upper Lamumba, 3 weeks later**

The time spent in Lamumba had been bliss. The locals were accommodating, the scenery beautiful, and the time well-spent. Teaching Garfield and watching him grow was one of the greatest experiences Mark and Marie had ever had. They'd been documenting and recording everything, knowing how precious these days were. Logically, they knew they should be safe in the heart of the jungle. But the sense of dread in their hearts told them differently. Until, finally, the day came.

They had been walking back from a hike through the mountains, basking in the sunshine and trekking through the rainforest when they heard rustling.

Cold fear gripped their hearts like a vise.

Leaning down and gripping her son's shoulders, Marie whispered, "Garfield, you have to run."

Blinking in confusion, he asked, "Why?"

"They're coming for you, Gar." Mark explained, his breathing becoming shallow. "You have to get out of here. Stay hidden. Someone will come find you. I promise."

"But Dad…"

"Sweetie, please. Trust us. Run. NOW. Please." His mother intoned desperately.

"O-ok." Morphing into a toucan, he fluttered away into the tress.

Sighing shakily, the Logans prepared themselves for the inevitable.

Before they could even register what was happening, Marie was weightless for a moment before finding herself in Madame Rouge's grip and Mark was wiping his bloody mouth from a punch courtesy of General Immortus.

"Hiding was a wise decision, if not a cowardly one." The robotic voice of the Brain rang out, Mallah entering the scene behind it. "In the end, it was ultimately futile. You knew this day was coming, Professor Logan. Tell me where the boy is."

"Over my dead body." Mark spat, turning around with fury burning in his eyes.

Madame Rouge tightened her grip on Marie. "Or your wife's."

Looking his wife in the face, he caught her silently mouthing, _"It's OK."_

"You do what you have to do." He sighed, closing his eyes tightly. "We're not giving up our son."

"I grow weary of your bleeding-heart sentiments." The Brain electronically sighed. "Mallah, show me how his heart actually bleeds."

"NO!" Marie called as the ape pounced on her husband.

After a few moments, the pain became a distant, dull sensation in the background. All Mark could see in his peripheral vision was his wife crying and calling out his name. As his vision started to blur, his world became his wife and two giant fists pounding into his chest.

For a few blessed moments, the assault stopped long enough for him to turn over and retch up his own blood.

He lay for a moment in his own blood and vomit before being yanked up by his hair.

"I'm giving you one last chance, Logan. Tell. Me."

For one horrible millisecond, Mark was tempted to give in. But even faster, he remembered the day his son was born. His first steps. Raising him, playing with him. The joy he brought he and Marie every day. His innocence.

He wouldn't let this monster take his son's life before he even had a chance to live it.

"You…already know my answer." He grinned, through a blood-stained and bruised face.

In a final act of defiance, he spit a flood of crimson from his mouth onto the Brain's dome.

"A pity. We'll just have to find young Garfield ourselves. I'd so hoped you would've learned your lesson. Do it, Rouge."

Madame Rouge's grip tightened and the Logans knew what would happen next.

"DON'T DO IT! YOU BASTARDS!"

"Mark! It's all right! I love y-"

She never got to finish as her windpipe was crushed in one swift, cruel movement.

"NOOOOO!" Mark cried, crawling towards his wife. "Marie! Marie, stay with me! Please!"

The light began to fade from her eyes but her eyes told the story of what she meant to say.

The last thing she ever saw was the final blow delivered to her husband's spine: a fatal blow he never saw coming.

Eyeing down the deceased couple, the Brain would have curled his lip in disgust if it were possible. "Well, that was a fruitless endeavor. Eventually, we will find the boy. Another time. The Doom Patrol shall be here soon. They can handle the cleanup."

Later

"The distress signal emanated from here! C'mon!"

Mento's heart felt ready to burst out of his chest. The Doom Patrol had come as soon as they'd gotten the lead on the Brotherhood's whereabouts. He just hoped they weren't too late. They all had split up to search for the Logans but so far they hadn't found any sign of them.

"Mark?! Marie?!" The jungles of Upper Lamumba were deadly silent.

Farther down the trail, Cliff was the unlucky one who found Mark and Marie's bodies.

"Jesus…" Robotman muttered.

If he was still able to throw up, he was certain he would have.

"Guys…I found 'em." He radioed solemnly.

"Those bastards went too far this time." Larry spoke quietly when they all had regrouped.

"Where's Garfield?" Rita fought to keep the quaver out of her voice. "You don't think they…?"

That seemed to snap Steve out of his trance.

"We have to find him."

…..

"Garfield! Son, where are you?"

"Kid, come out! It's Uncle Cliff and Larry!"

"Steve!"

Rita's panicked cry made the others rush over.

"Oh no." Steve gasps.

Rita was currently kneeling and clutching Garfield to her chest, stroking his hair and whispering assurances in his ear. The kid didn't seem to be all there. He seemed to be looking _through_ them more than at them. With a pained grimace, Steve looked away, realizing Garfield must have seen what had happened.

His eyes fell on the river before them and the sight of his own reflection only made him feel more ashamed.

His godson's heartbreaking sobs only made him feel worse and in that moment, he would've done anything to take away the boy's pain.

Eyeing the river again, Steve realized maybe there was a way he could…

**Present day**

**8 years later**

**Doom Patrol Headquarters, Training Room**

"Garfield! Keep your guard up!" Mento barked. "Larry should never get that close, understand?!"

"No, sir! I-I-I mean, yes sir, I mean…"

Before he could finish his sentence, Garfield was knocked to the ground.

Rita put a hand on her husband's shoulder. "Why don't we call it a day, Steve? He worked really hard today."

"In a real fight, it wouldn't amount to much."

Taking off his mask, Garfield retorted, "Well, how am I supposed to know when you never let me…"

Mento's dangerous look stopped him in his tracks. "Never mind."

Rita's imploring gaze won out. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "Fine. Hit the showers, kid. We start again tomorrow at 0800 hours. Are we clear?"

"Sir, yes sir." He saluted, before turning into a mouse and scurrying away.

"We walk in this house, young man!"

Morphing back, he called over his shoulder, "Sorry!"

Exiting the training room after Garfield, Larry couldn't help but agree with the kid. "You know, he has a point, Steve."

"Larry, we've been over this. When he's ready, I'll be the first one to let him off the leash. And that's not happening until I'm sure he can handle himself."

"Sometimes a trial by fire's the best way to go, Steve-O." Robotman added, inserting himself into the conversation.

"We were adults, Cliff. And we had the Chief." His eyes flickered with sadness for only a moment. "And you know how he pushed us. I want him to have the same level of preparedness. And I promised Mark and Marie I'd take care of him."

"We all did." Rita reminded him.

Unbeknownst to them, Garfield was around the corner, listening in.

"Anyway, the way it stands right now, if he didn't have us watching his back, that kid couldn't find his way out of a wet paper bag in a real combat situation. He's unfocused, undisciplined, not to mention unfit thanks to the junk food somebody's been slipping him."

Robotman shrugged sheepishly. "Guilty."

"My point is, he's nowhere near ready. So he'd better shape up soon because it only gets harder…from here."

He turned to see an upset-looking teen returning his gaze before storming off angrily.

"Garfield, wait!" Rita called. "God, Steve, did you really have to drag him through the dirt like that?"

"He shouldn't have been eavesdropping."

"That's not the point! He's a 13-year-old boy. You know how sensitive kids are at this time. He already feels like you undervalue him. And you're doing nothing to prove him wrong."

Rita shook her head and started in the direction of Gar's room.

"Somebody's sleeping on the couch tonight." Negative Man remarked, pretending not to see Steve's glare his way.

…..

"Garfield?" Rita tentatively knocked on her stepson's door. "Garfield, sweetie, it's Rita. Can I come in?"

"Sure." He muttered.

Stepping inside, she gave a quick glance around the place. His posters of Batman, Superman, and the Flash were beginning to peel at the corners from all the years they'd been there. The comic books he hid in a shoebox under the bed were scattered all over the floor. She knew he kept some junk food and sodas in the closet. And judging by the smell and laundry strewn everywhere, she could tell Gar wasn't too different from any other teenage boy.

The young man in question was on his stomach, laying on the bed, facing the window. She sat next to him, stroking his hair as she'd done since he was a boy.

"I know he has a terrible way of showing it, but he's trying to help you." She broke the silence at last.

"Yeah, I'll bet. Talking about me behind my back. Real helpful." He responded sullenly.

"I see you're growing some muscle, young man. Imagine how much stronger you could be if you cut out the junk food."

He chuckled. "Don't think of it as junk. It's an energy boost. Y'know, like fuel."

They laughed together before a comfortable silence befell them.

He sat up on the bed, eyes still fixed on the skyline. "How am I supposed to be able to handle myself if I'm always stuck on recon and crowd control?"

"Honey, give it time. You're only getting older. And the older you get…"

"…'The more experience you'll have.' Yeah, I know. You've been telling me that since I was 6, Rita."

"And it's no less true now than it was then. You've come a long way from having us chase you as a rabbit for cardio."

"True. But I know I can do more than 'scout the perimeter' and 'clear the area'." He said, puffing out his chest when he would imitate Steve.

His stepmother laughed at him before leaning in and kissing his temple. "I know. And I know you'll show him that someday."

She stood up and made for the door. She gripped the handle and turned to ask, "Will you be all right?"

He looked at her for the first time, his emerald orbs shining with determination as if he'd made an important decision. "Yeah. I think I will be."

"Goodnight, Garfield."

"Goodnight, Mom."

…

Steve sighed. Usually, he adored being in bed with his wife but right now sharing a room with an angry Rita Farr was the last place he wanted to be. After giving him a deadly look when she entered the room, she had kept her back turned coldly to him, not saying a single word.

"Honey, I'm sorry. I don't know how many times I have to tell you."

"Don't tell me, Steve. Tell Garfield."

"For all I know, the kid's probably asleep."

"Well, 'Mento', there is a way you can check."

Sighing in frustration, he told her, "The helmet's in the equipment room."

"There's always the old-fashioned way."

Grumbling all the way, he made the trek to the changeling's bedroom and knocked quietly. "Son? You up? Gar? Garfield?"

He eased the door open to take a peek, then flung it open in surprise.

"Oh, no."

Nestled on Garfield's pillow was a note: _"If you need me, I'll be finding my way out of a wet paper bag."_

"Damn that kid."

Jump City, California

"Whew, flying 7 miles as a parakeet is exhausting. Note to self: next time, try a bigger bird."

Standing on the pier, Garfield took in the skyline of downtown Jump, eager for some action.

"Now let's see if there's any paper bags I can get into." He grinned, rubbing his hands together.


	4. Prologue: Part 4-The Princess of Tamaran

Tamarus, Capital of Tamaran

_BOOM! BOOM!_

The seemingly endless shelling of the capital city was nearly enough to bring Princess Koriand'r to tears from her bedroom terrace.

Although she knew sensibly it was best to remain with her family under guard by the Imperial Forces, she couldn't help but wish she was out there doing _something _to help her people. She hated playing the spectator to the suffering of others. From her little brother having a broken bone to her sister being bedridden with the _zhusakis_, it hurt her when she couldn't help ease another's burdens somehow.

Her parents had told her a ruler should not take such things so personally. They must be focused on the wider picture and do what was best for all of Tamaran. Needless to say, the lessons had not sunk in.

She hoped she would never have to make such decisions. Luckily for her, her sister was first in line for the throne. Komand'r had been excited to become Grand Ruler for as long as Koriand'r had known her, which was to say, her whole life.

While making unemotional decisions had always been hard for her, Komand'r seemed to have no such issues. When it came down to it, she could be as cold and calculating as they come. She'd gotten herself out of many a situation with her cunning and it seemed detachment was no problem for her if all the heartbroken young men on Tamaran were any indication.

Her thoughts were broken by a voice calling out to her, "Princess. Are you ready?"

"Yes, Galfore. I'll be there in a moment."

Galfore was a red-haired burly man who had served the Royal Family since before Koriand'r was born. He was fearsome and the scar over one of his green eyes did nothing to take away from that image. However, she had been exposed to his gentler side since she was a small child. He had been she and her siblings' protector and caretaker whenever her parents were unavailable which was more often than she had realized. Truly, she felt she could be herself more around Galfore than her own father.

Finally, she joined him in the hall, beginning to slowly trudge towards the dining hall.

"What troubles you, my little bumgorf?" Her caretaker asked, furrowing his brow.

She heaved out a melancholy sigh. "I'm worried. I have heard things the past few days. Whispers and rumors. From what I hear, they're talking about me."

Galfore remained silent, indicating he knew more than he was letting on.

"I suppose that's the purpose of this dinner, then?" Koriand'r deduced, stating more than asking.

Galfore's face looked pained. "It is not my place to explain, Princess." He halted at the entrance to the dining room. "Your parents will explain all."

Feeling like she was trying to swallow a boulder, she stepped inside and let the doors slam shut behind her. Everyone else was already seated.

Her father, King Myand'r, Grand Ruler of Tamaran, was at her left. He had a wild mane of red hair with a thick braided beard. Although nowhere near as massive as Galfore, the King still had a fit frame himself.

Beside him was his Queen, Luand'r. Koriand'r had inherited her mother's luscious red locks. The woman's face was sharp and angular but exuded wisdom. When she spoke, people listened, and some would say she was an even more fearsome presence than her husband.

On the right side of the table, her younger brother Ryand'r sat. Prince Ryand'r was a bright-eyed and inquisitive young man with a heart of gold but a fiery temper that he was always told would get him in trouble. His auburn hair was curly and on his head was a circlet indicative of his royal status.

And last but not least, alone at the head of the table, sat her sister Komand'r, first in line for the throne. Unlike the rest of her family, she had silky dark tresses. Although not all Tamaraneans had red hair, all had bright primary coloring. Komand'r was one of the very few to have been born with dark hair. It was a rare birth defect that many children did not survive. The girl's emerald eyes always seemed to have a storm behind them. She was always thinking, calculating, and it appeared she inherited her mother's authoritative and take-charge attitude.

"Koriand'r. What kept you, child?"

"I apologize, father. I was…distracted."

"Yes, the current conflict has us all a bit…sidetracked." Clearing his throat, the King opted for a more upbeat tempo. "Ryand'r, how goes combat training?"

"Korthus took me on my first Dragett hunt today. I was this close to catching one. They're tricky little things."

"Greater men than you have tried and failed to catch a Dragett, my son." Myand'r laughed.

"Yes," Luand'r chimed in, "Your father, for example, has never come close to catching one."

The whole family burst out laughing at that remark.

"I thought we would keep that under wraps, sweetheart." Turning to his children, he explained, "The only reason I couldn't catch it is because my Teret threw me off. If the blasted creature wasn't so skittish, we'd have been feasting on Dragett."

"I presume you didn't call this dinner to regale us with tales of your failed exploits, Father?"

The mood sobered up once more. "As always, Komand'r, you're quick to the point." With a pained glance at his youngest daughter, he forced his next words out. "As you all know, the Citadel's attack has been relentless. They've completely overrun the Southern States of Kalapatt. The Ymeer Forests are burning. And now they've breached as far as Tamarus. The transubstantiator hasn't helped matters. With that infernal device in place, the condition of our atmosphere only worsens and our people grow weaker physically as well as in spirit. I don't know how they've managed to maneuver through our defenses. They were never this clever before. But they have made contact with us. They've…" He wet his lips. "They've surprisingly offered to halt their assault on one condition. They demand a tribute. They've asked to take…" He finally looked at his daughter. "You, Koriand'r. As their prize."

"What?" She asked in a small voice.

"What?!" Her younger brother asked much louder, standing up from his chair. "NO! Father, you can't agree to these demands."

"We are losing ground by the day, son!" The king responded, standing as well. "Somehow those wretches have inside intelligence. Until we can come up with new strategies or a way to counteract them, we have little options!"

"Then we fight to the end! Isn't that what you always taught us, Mother?"

Luand'r couldn't meet his eyes. "Yes, Ryand'r. That is what I taught you. But I also taught you to do what's best for all of Tamaran. And that supersedes all. We are on the brink of global extinction if nothing is done. Times like these require desperate solutions."

"Sacrificing your own child to those monsters shouldn't be one!"

"We have yet to agree to anything." The King stated, sitting down and returning his gaze to his youngest daughter. "We just wanted to make you aware, Koriand'r. Ultimately, the decision is up to you."

Feeling as if she were about to begin hyperventilating, Koriand'r stood and fled the room.

Dimly, she heard Galfore call her name as she raced down the halls. Once she was out of sight, she leapt off her balcony and plummeted into the clouds.

…

"Koriand'r, wait!" With a rueful glance at his parents, Ryand'r was about to follow his sister when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"I'll talk to Koriand'r."

"Kom, are you sure? You're not exactly the best at giving heart-to-heart pep talks."

"We're sisters. Do you really think I would do anything to harm her?" She answered with an earnest look.

Ryand'r couldn't truly give an honest answer. He could never be too sure with his eldest sister. But he simply shook his head and let her pass.

Running into Galfore outside, she laid a hand on his massive arm. "Don't worry. I'll bring her back. I know where to find her."

….

Koriand'r was hugging herself, tears streaming down her face, feeling the weight of her world on her shoulders despite technically being weightless.

The blackened sky around her did nothing to help her mood. Ever since the transubstantiator had been activated above the planet's surface, Tamaran's typically vibrant skies were a depressing dull color and slowly sapped her people of the energy the sun's rays provided.

"I thought I'd find you up here."

Her head whipped around to find her sister floating in the sky just as she was. They were the only two on Tamaran who could and they'd been keeping it that way for months now.

"You know, eventually the Dragetts might reveal your hiding spot one of these days." Kom smirked.

That coaxed a laugh out of her. "They are notorious tattletales. I remember when one of them told Mother that you stole from its nest. She was quite angry with you that day."

"Yes, I remember. I hunted it down and killed it." Komand'r revealed, her face dark.

Koriand'r's face fell in horror for a moment.

"I'm kidding!" Her sister laughed. "You take life way too seriously, baby sister."

"And perhaps you do not take it seriously enough." She laughed in return.

"Listen…I know this isn't exactly the easiest choice in the world to make. But as the Princess, it is your duty to protect the people. Whatever the personal cost. I just wish I could take this burden for you."

"I wish no one had to. None of this makes sense. How did they get a transubstantiator? How did they know about Kalapatt's secret base? How did they even breach the atmosphere? Something is not right."

"Hey, I'm just as confused as you are." Her sister answered, throwing up her hands. "But do we really have time to ponder those questions while our planet is dying? It may not be the easiest or most comfortable choice but…I believe you know the right one. You always do what's best for everyone, Koriand'r, no matter what it costs you. Is this truly any different?" Floating closer, Kom placed her hands on her sullen sister's shoulders. "All I know is this: You'd have a very proud big sister if you do what you always do."

"Which is?" Kori asked, lifting her previously lowered head.

"The right thing." Komand'r smiled, before descending to the clouds from whence she came.

_The right thing_, Koriand'r mused to herself. _When did doing it become so hard?_

…..

Finding a good night's sleep to be elusive, Koriand'r had been itching to go out for another flight but didn't dare do so in broad daylight.

Thus, she found herself staring at her bedroom wall looking at nothing in particular.

Cursing her sluggishness, she stood up and decided to see what her brother was up to. Normally, he'd be one of the first to check up on her.

To her surprise, she found him tiptoeing as if he were out hunting.

"Ry?"

Her sibling lurched as if he'd been burned. "Kori, don't scare me like that. How long have you been standing there?"

"I just came to see how you were feeling."

His expression softened. "I should be asking you that."

Ignoring the issue for now, she probed, "I don't suppose you're going out to fight the Citadel all by yourself?"

He shyly looked away. "No. I was trying to visit Vitalia. I haven't seen her in a while and with all that's been going on…"

He didn't have to finish the thought.

"Do you mind if I join you?"

The notion seemed to make him uncomfortable and she had to laugh at her brother's squeamishness. "I just wanted to get a look at the city. I'd rather not make the journey by myself. I promise I won't get in you or Vitalia's way."

Ryand'r finally smiled back at her and jerked his head as a signal for them to get a move on.

Just as they made it outside the front gate, an all-too-familiar voice slowed them down, "And just where are you two headed in such a rush?"

Ryand'r responded first. "It's none of your business, Kom."

Putting her hands up in a placating gesture, she soothed, "No need for all the hostility, brother. I just wanted to spend some quality time with my siblings, that's all." Her face betrayed a vulnerability they'd never seen from here before. "In times like these, I just thought we should stick together."

Kori's face fell in sympathy and she turned toward her brother, hands clasped in a silent plea for her to join them.

Under his sisters' imploring gazes, Ry found he couldn't say no. "Fine. You can come along. We're going into the city. Just having a look around."

"And seeing Vitalia, I presume?"

His blush told her enough and both girls giggled in unison.

Tamarus

Tamaran's capital city had definitely seen better days.

The main square was normally bustling with excitement and activity but today hardly anyone milled about, speaking in somber tones.

Smoke was swirling in the distance only a few miles outside the city. Faintly, the sounds of artillery and war cries could be heard, carried on the wind.

Ryand'r's look of longing only reminded Koriand'r of how badly he wanted to join the army.

As the prince, however, he was tasked with other responsibilities and he was considered too young. But Kori had no doubt in her mind that when the time came, her brother would be ready. Korthus and Galfore had taught him well and he was a natural.

Komand'r seemed to be scrutinizing it all, wondering how she would proceed if she were in charge, something Kori knew she thought about all the time. It was not uncommon for her to go on tangents about how things would be different if only she were Grand Ruler.

Unlike Ry or Kom, Kori had no idea what to do or how to change things. She just wanted to see her people's suffering end.

Every child's whimper, every tear-filled goodbye, every injured civilian on the street was like a knife to her heart.

Finally, they reached Vitalia's home. It was a meek and unimpressive dwelling but felt far cozier to Koriand'r than the palace walls.

They'd been wordless the whole trip until Ry turned and spoke up. "Okay, I'm going inside. Are you two staying out here?"

"Sure. I'll stand guard. You never know who the Citadel might snatch up." Kom interjected, with a meaningful glance at Kori.

Ry nodded, then went inside.

"Kom, do you want any company? I could…"

"Actually, sis…" She cut her off. "…I was thinking you could give us a bird's eye view."

"But what if I'm spotted?"

"Just stay on the roof. It'll be fine, I promise. You trust me, right?"

"I do." She smiled.

"Good."

…..

Perched on the roof, Kori had an even better view of the chaos.

She could see the fields of battle, the war-torn skies, the forest fires, and her home in the distance. If she squinted, she could make out her bedroom balcony.

She sighed, tugging at her purple skirt. Although it was a warm day, she still felt a chill as if cold fingers were worming over her exposed midriff.

She had gotten so bored that she had lost sight of Kom a while back but was sure she was fine. If anyone could take care of themselves, it was Komand'r.

A loud crash startled Kori out of her thoughts. It sounded like it was coming from below. Silently floating down to a side street, Koriand'r turned the corner to find Gordanian soldiers dragging a child between them. It had to be Vitalia's little sister.

For weeks, Tamaranian children had been going missing. No one knew why but Kori would be damned if she let it happen on her watch.

Her hands began to spark and glow with a familiar energy when a swift hand grabbed her wrist.

She whirled with glowing green eyes only to find her sister morosely shaking her head.

"Why not?" Kori asked, her power dying down.

"You know we can't reveal ourselves. These powers are supposed to be our secret until we get control over them."

"But surely we can…"

Kori's protests were drowned out by a loud string of Tamaranean curses.

To her horror, Kori watched as her brother, brandishing a pocket knife, leapt into the fray against the attackers.

There were 6 in total, and he was quickly able to take down 4 before they rallied and overcame him.

He was corralled and held down while their leader dealt vicious blows to his body.

Readying his plasma weapon, he prepared to fire.

"STOP!"

All eyes turned to see the Princesses of Tamaran emerge from hiding.

"Halt!" Koriand'r spoke again, firmly and leaving no room for argument. "I am told that your superiors seek to have me as their prize."

"Correct." Their leader snarled.

"Unhand the Prince and release your captive and I will agree to your demands."

"Kori, no-AHHH!" Ryand'r was silenced by a plasma beam.

"Silence, boy!" The Gordanian barked. Turning back to the Princess, they shared an intense stand-off before he relented.

"Release the girl. And get the young prince out of my sight."

Vitalia's sister was unceremoniously dropped before her mother scrambled to grab her and Ry was shoved at Vitalia's feet.

"We've kept our end of the bargain, wench. Now come along. Lord Trogaar is eager to make your acquaintance."

Taking a deep breath and steeling her nerves, Kori gave a glance behind her to her sister, conveying all the fear and vulnerability she was desperately trying to hide.

Kom gave a reassuring smile and a hug. "You can do this, Kori." She whispered in her ear. "I believe in you."

"HURRY UP, TROQ! We don't have all day."

Glaring at the derogatory name, Kori proudly walked over and allowed herself to be put in chains.

Ry began to race over but Kom blocked his path, nodding at her sister.

The look in her brother's eyes was breaking Kori's heart and she forced herself to look away as she was led onto the ship.

The last glimpse she saw before the doors shut was Ryand'r comforting a shaken Vitalia, looking as if he needed it just as much.

She hoped it wasn't the last of Tamaran she ever saw.

….

For the past few hours, Koriand'r had been sequestered inside a holding cell aboard the Gordanian flagship hovering above Tamaran. The transubstantiator satellites over the planet did their work well. Even onboard, Kori could feel her strength waning.

All she'd been told once being dragged here was that Lord Trogaar would like to make her acquaintance. In the meantime, all she could do was wait and pray to X'hal that help was coming.

Suddenly, her cell door was thrust open and the guards who brought her entered, weapons drawn.

"On your feet, Troq! Lord Trogaar will see you now."

Her hands and ankles were encased in thick cuffs and she was jerked to her feet as if she were livestock. Poked and prodded all the way, the Princess was led to the main control room of the ship.

Her eyes were shifted downward burning with shame and barely controlled rage but eventually Kori lifted her hateful gaze to the shadow looming over her.

Flanked by two smaller guards, the Gordanian known as Trogaar loomed large. His green leathery frame was thick with muscle and sinew and his tail swished behind him in glee. His golden armor signified his status among the elite of these heathens and his sadistic grin only served to make him look more repulsive.

"So this is the infamous Princess Koriand'r?"

The lizard slid a claw under her throat, prodding her larynx. She resisted the urge to bite it off.

"It would appear the rumors are true. You are quite lovely…for a Troq." He smirked cruelly.

Kori had to make a conscious effort to keep her eyes from glowing and her hands from igniting. "What do you want?!"

"Why don't we save that conversation for your parents' arrival?" Looking over her shoulder, his disgusting smirk only widened. "Ah, perfect timing. King Myand'r, Queen Luand'r. And your manservant."

Turning around, Kori saw her parents flanked by an incensed-looking Galfore.

"Koriand'r, are you all right?" Galfore inquired anxiously. "Have these animals done anything to you?!"

"Bite your tongue, infidel!" Trogaar spat with disdain. "I only asked the King and Queen to come, not their lapdog. Be thankful I even allow you in my presence."

Galfore growled low in his throat but Myand'r raised a hand, signaling him to stand down.

"What use do you have for my daughter?"

"Oh, I can think of several off the top of my head."

"You monsters!" The Queen shouted with venom.

"Ah, now I see where your spawn gets their fiery temper. Certainly not from their father."

"Will you keep your word?" The King asked, ignoring the insult.

"Do you have any other option but to trust that I will? Your planet is dying. Your people's corpses litter the streets. We bear down on your precious capital even now. How much more ground can you stand to lose? Accept my generous offer or perish. Either way, Tamaran is ours."

Koriand'r met her father's gaze, silently pleading. He only sighed and gulped in response, shutting his eyes in anguish.

"There is a third option, you know. Fight me in single combat here and now. If you want the girl back so badly, come and fight for her. Tamaranians are a warrior race, correct? As the king, you must be their mightiest warrior."

Myand'r seemed to wrestle with the decision before forcing out his next words with a shudder. "If we agree to your demands, you would halt this assault and leave Tamaran in peace?"

"Obviously. You would still answer to us but so long as you don't cross us, you may operate as you always have. One life for billions. What do you say?"

"Very well." He gravely replied, clenching his fists and turning his head away in shame.

Koriand'r's heart dropped like a stone and the betrayal in her countenance said more than words ever could.

"My king, you can't possibly…"

"Silence, Galfore! What your king speaks is law."

"So you do have a backbone after all, King Myand'r." Trogaar sneered.

"May we at least talk to our daughter before you take her away?" Luand'r pleaded, hands clasped.

There was a long pause as the Gordanian leader mulled it over. "You have 2 minutes." I suggest you make them count."

Luand'r spoke first. "Koriand'r, you are strong. Fight. Survive. Use what you've been taught. And know this: even if our actions haven't shown it, we love you. Please believe me." She reached out to touch her daughter's face, but Kori's guards yanked her back as a warning.

With tears threatening to spill, Myand'r stepped forward next. "My child, you have done your duty as Princess of Tamaran. That is all I could ever hope to ask of you. You have shown more courage…" He choked on emotion and finished in a small voice. "..than I ever have. Tamaran will always remember you for your sacrifice. I promise it will not be in vain."

"TIME'S UP!" Trogaar roared.

Galfore moved quickly, teary-eyed and fearful. "I'm sorry, my little bumgorf." Looking down to stare into her eyes, he whispered, "Make these klorbags pay for their insolence."

As she was jerked away like common trash, Koriand'r resolved to do just that.

And X'hal help whoever got in her way.


	5. Prologue: Part 5-The Boy Wonder

"_We have a crime-in-progress on Menville and Loren, suspect is armed and dangerous."_

The crack of a grappling hook being fired resounded throughout the night as a caped figure swung silently overhead in the direction of the crime.

2 minutes later

Police sirens blared as the hunt was on for the suspect who broke into the jewelry shop on the corner of Menville and Loren.

The man in question was hugging the wall, trying to keep his breathing shallow.

Cop cars whizzed by the alley he was hiding in and he allowed himself to let out a sigh of relief.

"Y'know, you're a really heavy breather."

"Wha-? Agh!" The man's response was cut off by a steel-tipped boot kicking him down the alley.

Whipping out his gun, he took aim into the darkness. "Who's there?! I ain't playing games here."

A tap on his shoulder made him spin around only to be met with a sock to the jaw.

"Maybe you're not. But I am."

With a roar, the thief began to fire shots blindly. The shadowy figure bounced between the narrow walls and threw a projectile at him, knocking his weapon out of his hands.

Cradling his hand, he finally got a good look at his attacker.

"Oh, it's just you. A little far away from home, ain't you, Bird Boy?" He smirked.

Robin the Boy Wonder did not look as amused. "See, that right there gets on my nerves. Guys like you always assume that I'm any less dangerous than Batman."

The thug lunged only to be met with a knee to the gut followed by an elbow to the chest that knocked him down once more. Before the man could even sit up again, a fist between the eyes knocked him out cold.

"Well, you're wrong." The teen finished with conviction.

"JCPD! Hands up!"

By the time the officers had made it to where the jewel thief was, any sign of Robin was long gone.

Wayne Enterprises, Jump City Branch

Bat-Bunker

"Man, I need a bike." Robin sighed as he plopped into his desk chair. "Fun as it is doing parkour around the city, I'm gonna need my own set of wheels. The birdarangs worked well, though. And I've been mulling over this idea that maybe when combined, they could make a sword or something. Guess I'll put that on the list."

"_Indeed, sir."_ Alfred Pennyworth answered on the other end of the video call. _"It would appear you have settled into Jump City rather quickly."_

Taking a glance around at his swaths of monitors and bulletins boards of research, the teen only answered, "You could say that."

"_You do realize that this sabbatical is only temporary, yes? You are only 15. Dick Grayson is supposed to be on winter vacation in Switzerland for 2 weeks at most so do keep track of the time."_

"I'm one week in and I already feel at home, Alfie. I'm glad you suggested this whole thing. I really did have to get away from him for a while."

Shuddering at the reminder of his charges' spats with each other, the butler agreed, _"Quite so. But Batman and Robin are still a team."_

"Speaking of teams, the old man's been in space with the League for a couple of days, right?"

"_A fact I'm sure you're well aware of, considering you've been dipping quite a bit into your trust fund while he's been away. You know he'll have something to say about that."_

"Doesn't he always?"

The Englishman hummed in agreement before quirking an eyebrow. _"By the way, sir, about your hair…"_

"The spiked look? I thought it worked for me. Wanted to try out something different."

"_And the steel-tipped boots? The birdarangs?"_

"They give me better tread and more power on my kicks. And the birdarangs are my own little touch."

"_I see. And how goes the hunt for Deathstroke?"_

"No leads so far, Alfred. But I know I can find him. All the evidence points to his base being somewhere in Jump. He always comes back to this area eventually."

"_And even if you do manage to find him? What then? He is the greatest assassin on Earth. Perhaps you should inform Master Bruce of your plans?"_

"No way, Alfred. You know he'd shut it down without even hearing me out."

"_Perhaps, in this case, that would be to your benefit."_

Rubbing his hands over his face, Robin sighed and answered benignly, "You're right. If I find anything, I'll tell him."

"_Splendid, sir. I've received the schematics for your…"R-Cycle"? Its construction can be started tomorrow. Shall you require anything else?"_

"No, I should be fine. Oh, before I forget, thanks for the bo-staff. I'm still getting the hang of it but it looks like a keeper."

"_You're quite welcome, Master Dick. Goodnight."_

"Night, Alfred."

Signing off, the teen finally peeled off his mask to reveal the blue eyes of Dick Grayson.

Leaning back in his desk chair, he looked around his "office" of sorts. The lighting was dim but the elevated pad he was on was able to sustain a computer hub that gave him locals news and crime alerts around the clock. In the far-left corner, he had a chamber for his costume along with some workout equipment. In the center was a mini-fridge and a cabinet stocked with basic items such as flashlights, batteries, and tools for any repairs he needed to make. A few feet from that lay the cot he was currently spending a few hours a night resting on. Down the platform to his right were the steps that would've housed a set of wheels if he had any but also the exit door to the elevator that led to an alleyway on the street level. He may not have any giant dinosaurs or playing cards but all in all, it suited his needs.

It was one of Batman's many spare Batcaves he had littered around not just Gotham but the country, possibly the world. His mentor had allowed him access to this one for his little "vacation".

Long story short, Dick Grayson and Bruce Wayne may have looked for all the world to be the happiest an eccentric billionaire and his "ward" could be, but the Dark Knight and his Squire had major tension brimming under the surface.

The Teen Wonder felt as of late he was being babied and coddled beyond what he could stand. Despite having been Robin since he was 10 years old, Bruce still decided to hide him in bubble wrap every time a serious threat reared its head. Sure, he'd had some rough encounters before, but he'd always pulled through, right? Maybe here and there he needed Batman to save him, but he was older now. He wasn't a prepubescent squeaky-voiced kid in pixie boots anymore. He was ready for more than what he was being given.

Naturally, when he brought this up to Bruce his opinion wasn't even acknowledged assuming he'd heard him at all. Apparently, all of his feelings were foolish when compared to the almighty Batman's judgment from atop his high horse.

In attempts to prove himself, Dick had been taking more chances and going off-script one too many times for Batman's liking. Of course, his ego wouldn't let him admit that most of Robin's gambles had paid off.

Anyway, heated conversations had started to become shouting matches and Alfred had clearly seen enough. In a shocker, the butler had raised his own voice and reprimanded both of his charges. In an attempt to mollify him, Alfred had convinced Bruce to reluctantly allow him to be on his own in a city of his choosing during winter break in order to give him a reprieve and a chance to prove his skills. Bruce being Bruce made him choose a city within the United States despite Dick Grayson apparently being in Switzerland.

So Dick had chosen to go where anybody goes when they need to get away: California. But definitely not LA. Too cliché, too crowded. But the oddly named Jump City held appeal in no small part due to rumors he'd heard about the infamous Deathstroke the Terminator frequenting the vicinity.

Knowing he had a small window of time before he'd be back under Batman's watchful eye had made Robin more driven than ever. He'd been up day and night doing his best to find the assassin and bring him to justice.

If he succeeded, he'd finally prove that he could take on a big-time threat and maybe be a solo act permanently. He was already having ideas on how to make himself stand out. Jump already was scarce on superheroes and a villain populace was slowly converging on the area. The place was ripe for him to build a reputation. The fact that it was on the other side of the country from Gotham only made it seem more enticing to him.

Rising from his chair, he walked towards the bulletin board posted over his cot. In the past week, he had collected copious notes about the goings-on of the town and its underworld. In the center of it all was Deathstroke. He had to find him. Whatever it took.

And he knew he would. After all, he was trained by the best. And determined to be even better. Nobody stood a chance against him.

Although he felt too wired to sleep, he supposed there wasn't much else he could do with all his pent-up energy that couldn't wait until morning. The city had been pretty quiet tonight.

He reached down to unclip his utility belt when he heard and felt a thunderous boom that rattled his workstation.

"Something tells me that wasn't an earthquake." He muttered to himself as he slipped his mask back on and dashed for the exit.

It looked like he was going to have something to do tonight after all.

**A/N: So this is it, everybody! The Prologue is officially completed! Thanks for reading and thanks to all of you who have reviewed, followed, and favorited. It's been really encouraging. I'll be taking a month or so off to write Chapter 1 but I'm excited to really get into this story and I hope you guys will stick around.**


	6. Chapter 1: Go!

Chapter 1: Go!

**The Slave Ship Trak'r, Milky Way Galaxy**

The Gordanian warlord Trogaar reclined in his captain's chair with a look of satisfaction on his face.

He and his crew were transporting their most recent prisoner to the Citadel homeworld to be used for slave labor as well as a bargaining chip against Tamaran and its rulers.

He had sent two guards to check on her as was their daily custom. She was typically defiant and her screams of outrage could be heard throughout the whole ship. But recently she had been quiet. Perhaps she had finally accepted her fate.

His musings were interrupted by blaring alarms that caused him to grit his snarling teeth.

_Perhaps not._

Minutes ago…

"Is our prisoner behaving herself?" The first guard asked his friend as they made their way to the cell door.

"As well as can be expected." His friend answered. "She has been quite the marvelous little plaything. It seems we've finally taken all the fight out of that little Troq."

"She has been remarkably quiet the past few days. It looks like the girl has finally learned her place. I'm almost sad that we have to drop her off at the Citadel homeworld."

Peeking through the bars, the guards saw the Princess laying prone, face down on the floor. When the girl had first gotten here, she'd been defiant and ornery. But after weeks of torture, physical and mental, the Troq had become submissive and pliant.

Opening the cell door, the Gordanians towered over their captive, familiar with the routine by now.

"And how are we feeling today, your majesty?" One jeered.

The girl didn't seem to hear.

"Look at me, Troq!" The other spat.

She was still unresponsive. Normally, she would at least spare them a hateful glance or a fearful look when words failed her.

The guards shared a look before one reached down and pulled their prisoner to her feet by her arms. Her head lolled and she put her hands on his chest for support.

The last sensation the creature ever felt was the most intense heat he'd ever felt burning twin holes through his torso.

His friend was in shock as the Tamaranian girl's hands and eyes emitted a harsh green glow he'd never seen before.

He wouldn't have much time to ponder it as a moment later his head was smashed into the cell wall multiple times until it caved in.

Breathing heavily, Koriand'r powered down and hurriedly reached down to snatch her captors' keycards.

Later

Her weeks of observation had paid off. It had taken longer than she'd liked but Koriand'r had been able to learn enough while in her captivity to know the general layout of the ship.

Waiting for the right moment to escape and reveal her powers had been torturous but it was well worth it. The keycards she swiped earlier had granted her access to the lower level where the escape pods were kept.

Naturally, her escape had not gone unnoticed, if the blaring alarms were anything to go by. More Gordanian scum was surely on its way to intercept her. The pod wasn't particularly large nor was it weaponized, but it would suit her biggest need: To escape this hellhole.

Hopping in, she found the pod's start-up sequence easy enough to master. Rocketing out just before the airlock shut, Koriand'r felt something she'd only been able to dream about for too long: freedom.

Her joyous train of thought was quickly ended by the barrage of artillery currently careening towards her pod. Gritting her teeth, Koriand'r drew on every lesson she'd ever learned about piloting and did her best to keep her pod steady. She was able to dodge the first wave, but she knew she couldn't keep this up for long especially if she didn't have the ammunition to fire back. She had no idea what star system she was in, but she spotted a planet in the far horizon. It looked to have a surface solid enough to safely touch down upon.

Cutting a quick turn in its direction, she hoped for a smooth landing upon which she could ditch the pod and regroup.

No such luck.

Inevitably, a beam struck her craft, blowing out an engine and causing the vehicle to sputter wildly.

"X'hal!" She cursed as she began a harsh nosedive.

Faster than she would've liked, the surface became startingly clear as she entered the planet's atmosphere.

Clenching her eyes shut, the fugitive braced for impact, praying to X'hal this wouldn't hurt as much as she thought it would.

Jump City, California

Silas Stone's house

1 hour earlier

Dr. Silas Stone couldn't remember the last time he had been so grateful to be safe within the walls of his own home.

He'd just returned from a rather harrowing encounter with the man known as Damien Darhk, the H.I.V.E headmaster. He had been getting restless waiting for the completion of Project: Cyborg. Silas had been stalling for over a year now by supplying them with other things, but he sensed Darhk's restlessness growing with every encounter. He wished he'd never gotten involved with the H.I.V.E. in the first place but when his family had been threatened, he knew he had no other choice. He also couldn't deny the fact that this was the only way something as dangerous as Project: Cyborg would ever get off the ground. His other colleagues had deemed it unethical and feared for the repercussions it would leave on the test subjects. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on who you asked, Silas had only had one test subject that thankfully turned out to be a success. Speaking of whom…

"Victor?" He called out into the dark.

The evening twilight cast an eerie glow in the living room making for an unsettling atmosphere.

"Did you find anything out?"

Silas would never admit to the cold sliver of fear that shot down his spine, but Victor could see it anyway.

Stepping out of the shadows, Victor's hulking form cut an intimidating figure.

"God, Victor you…"

"Scared you?"

"I was going to say startled."

"Sure you were, Dad. So did you find out any new info from your best buddy?"

"Nothing we didn't already know." Silas sighed, taking off his glasses. "Victor, I don't think you should be pursuing this."

"So, what, you're just gonna help that monster, give him what he wants, and hope he goes away?"

"If it keeps us alive, yes!" His father cried in frustration.

"You call this living?! Dad, you get to go outside, go to lunch, take a drive. Ever since you did _this_ to me, I can't do any of that. All I can do is sit inside and people watch. I'm frickin' Quasimodo! I'd almost prefer going out and looking like a total freak compared to being declared dead. Which you never asked _me_ about, by the way."

"Victor, we've been over this." Silas responded, his voice rising in kind. "If the experiment failed, you would have been dead anyway. And you are the living embodiment of what HIVE wants! I am not turning you over to them. The more questions I ask, the more suspicious I'll seem. What if they burst in here one day, unannounced, and find you?! They'd dissect you and kill us both. We have to keep your existence a secret. I'm sorry, but I think that life in a cage is better than no life at all."

"Says the person living outside of one." Victor huffed.

"I'm just trying to protect you." his father sighed.

"You know, I saw Ron and Marcy last week." Victor blurted, staring at the ground but seeing nothing.

"You went OUTSIDE?! Victor, you know you're not supposed to-"

"I've been doing it for months." Victor revealed in a monotone voice. "I'm 19, Dad, not 5. I can handle myself." Lifting his robotic arms, he attempted to joke. "Especially now."

Shrugging as if to concede the point, he gestured for his son to continue.

"They were at JCU. Living out the dream we always talked about. I didn't have to watch them long to know…they're together now. Couldn't have happened to two better people."

"Victor…"

"I approached her that night." He continued as if he hadn't heard. "I wasn't angry. At least not as much as I thought I'd be. I just wanted to talk. She got one good look at this thing…" He gestured to his glowing red eye, "…and took off running."

Silas reached up to touch his son's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"So am I." Shrugging the shoulder off, Victor turned away. "I can't do this anymore, Dad. I can't take another minute just sitting in here with only my feelings for company. I've got to go out and, I dunno, hit something! Anything but sit around feeling sorry for myself."

"You really wanna take down H.I.V.E., don't you?" His father deduced.

"Much as I wish I didn't, I've got this body. Maybe we can do something with it. We can outfit me with more weaponry. And you're on the inside, Dad. We can find out what they're planning and stop it. I don't see the Justice League coming out here to stop it."

Taking his glasses off, Silas rubbed the bridge of his nose. "I'm going to regret this." He muttered to himself. Speaking louder, he declared, "Fine. Let's do this."

Surprised, Victor turned back around. "You're serious?"

"If you are."

With a ghost of a smile, Victor answered, "Thanks, Dad."

Smiling back faintly, his father waved him off. "Why don't you go get some air, son? Just promise you'll be careful."

Thrilled at his father's stamp of approval, Victor raced to grab a hoodie before his father could change his mind.

Zipping it up and throwing his hood on, Victor made for the door, calling back, "I'll be back soon."

Downtown Jump City

Even minutes later, Victor still couldn't believe his dad had let him go and agreed to his plans. Maybe they were finally turning a corner.

So far, his attempts at being a local superhero hadn't gone to plan. He'd heard alarms blaring earlier from the jewelry shop on Menville and Loren but by the time he got there, someone else had already taken care of it. The JCPD seemed just as confused as he was about how the jewel thief got trussed up upside down in an alleyway. If the cops hadn't nabbed him who else could've?

His thoughts were broken by a cry for help by a young woman in distress. He looked across the street to see two older women hefting up bats, obviously trying to hit her up for something or other. They were tattooed, beefy, with multi-colored hair and looked to be up to no good.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Victor interjected, trying to deepen his voice to sound tough.

"Oh yeah? And who are you, big guy?" The one with with green hair asked.

"Uh…I actually hadn't thought that far ahead yet."

"Well it won't matter when we get through with you. The only name you're gonna be known by is John Doe." Her red-haired partner snarled with glee.

On that note, she turned her bat on Victor who lifted his forearm causing it to shatter on impact.

Taking advantage of her surprise, Victor shoved his would-be assailant down with authority before menacingly turning to the redhead.

"You want a turn?"

Throwing her own bat at him, she turned tail and ran.

Swatting it away, Victor looked down at her partner. "I think you might wanna follow your friend's lead."

Heeding his advice, she bolted down the street and out of sight.

Walking over to the trembling victim, he asked, "You all right?"

"Um, yeah. T-Thanks." And with that, she scampered away, eager to get as far as possible from him.

Victor sighed, looking at his reflection in a storefront window.

"Still a freak." He murmured to himself.

"Dude! That was so cool!"

Almost jumping out of his skin (or what was left of it), Victor whirled around to see someone even freakier looking than he was.

It was some green kid, in a purple and black uniform, with elfish ears and a fang poking out of his mouth.

"What in the _heck_ are you?"

"Name's Beast Boy. Doom Patrol member, hero extraordinaire."

Victor only stared blankly, politely ignoring when the kid's voice cracked.

"Okay, so I'm not a hero extraordinaire _yet_, but it's only a matter of time. I'm working on the solo hero thing. I had to drop the rest of the Patrol, they were cramping my style." He explained in a cool voice.

"I'm sure." Victor deadpanned. "And who exactly is the Boom Patrol?"

"Doom Patrol." Beast Boy frowned.

"Yeah, that."

"Doesn't matter." The kid shrugged. "Anyway, I came here lookin' for a fresh start, a town of my own to protect." He continued dramatically. "Y'know, can be my sidekick, if you want."

Victor appeared nonplussed. "I'll pass. 'Sides, I was here first."

"Well, hey, we can be partners, right?"

"Sorry, kid, I'm more of a solo act."

"Aw, c'mon, man." He whined in protest. "I'll be your sidekick. I could be your best friend."

"What makes you think I don't already have one?"

"Yeah, I'll bet a freaky android guy has lots of friends." Beast Boy answered sarcastically.

If looks could kill, 'Beast Boy' would've been a pile of ash.

"Sorry." He said contritely. "That was mean."

"Naw. You're right." Victor acknowledged, his self-pity evident. "Look, BB, I get what you're trying to do here but don't you think you should go back with your old team?"

"Once I prove myself, sure. I'm just trying to show 'em I'm not such a loser." He replied, downcast.

Ruminating on his own attempts to impress his father, Victor answered, "Yeah. I get it."

After a pregnant pause, Beast Boy asked, "Uh, would you mind showing me around? I have absolutely no idea where I'm going."

Holding back a laugh, Victor nodded. "Sure, kid. Where do you wanna go first?"

They were interrupted by a roaring sound. They raised their eyes to the heavens to find a fireball streaking over their heads. Their eyes followed it until it crashed blocks away into Main St. The crash caused an enormous tremor and emitted a starburst of light that was impossible to miss.

"How 'bout that way?" Beast Boy prompted.

"Good idea." Victor agreed.

….

When they finally reached their destination, they found a giant crater. At the bottom, there was some sort of aircraft that was smoking.

"I wonder if anybody's in there?" Beast Boy spoke up. "We should probably try to—"

The front of the pod was burst open by a green energy beam that would've burnt the kid's face off if Victor hadn't yanked him back.

As it was, the heat was still enough to singe off Victor's hoodie, revealing his cybernetic form in all its glory.

Rising out of the crater, a female figure in purple clothing floated up, her eyes burning with green energy. The girl had long, bright red hair and orange skin, indicating she wasn't human.

"Whoa, an actual alien!" Beast Boy squeaked excitedly. "Dude, you gotta go talk to it!" He exclaimed, turning to Victor.

"I'm not talking to that thing. You talk to it." Victor urged, shoving him forward.

The girl's fearsome gaze whipped downwards once the poor soul was in her sightline.

"Um, hey. W-welcome to Earth, miss…?"

She stared blankly.

"You want me to guess your name? I'm great at this. Stargirl? Space Princess?"

She only seemed to look more confused at that.

"Okay, uh, how about charades?"

Her eyes narrowed.

"Guess that's a no. You wanna help me out here?"

Her answering silence spoke volumes.

Hoping for some kind of reaction, Beast Boy stuck out his tongue, bulging his eyes out while flashing jazz hands.

The reaction he got wasn't exactly what he'd been hoping for.

The girl roared in defiance and lunged for him.

Squeaking in fear, Beast Boy shifted into a squirrel just in time to avoid a punishing blow to the face.

Victor's jaw dropped. He never thought in all his years he'd witness an alien chasing a green squirrel.

The sight would've been comical if, one, he'd known that this kid could transform into freaking animals, and two, if said alien wasn't flying around actively trying to kill the boy.

Changing back into human form, BB called out, "DUDE! I could use some help, here!"

Snapping out of his trance, Victor raced over, intercepting the girl mid-flight and swinging a punch that would've floored anyone else.

The girl's head snapped back as she was stopped cold. She slowly turned back, appearing almost delighted if he didn't know any better, an ominous smile adorning her face.

Wiping her mouth, she spat, and murmured something in no language Victor had ever heard.

Shaking out his hand, Victor only realized after the fact how much that punch had seemed to hurt himself more than her.

The girl's hands ignited with green energy as she charged up for another attack.

Beast Boy and Victor's eyes widened in fear, as they braced themselves for a fight.

As the girl reared her arms back, an unknown projectile whizzed through the air, striking her face.

She rebounded quickly and growled as she watched the weapon return to its owner.

Victor's jaw could only drop once more and Beast Boy looked as if Christmas came early.

"You're…you're…"

Finally acknowledging them, Robin the Boy Wonder turned as if to say something before quickly shouting, "Get down!"

Following his orders, they dove behind a taxi on the street as the alien began firing a volley of beams their way.

"So who are you two?" Robin shouted over the barrage.

"Beast Boy." The kid shouted back. "And this is, uh…" Turning back to his new friend, he asked, "What's your name, dude?"

Hesitating a moment, Victor answered, "Cyborg."

Taking in the information, Robin nodded before reaching into his belt. "Cover your ears." He instructed, throwing a disc.

The disc slid into the vicinity of the alien and opened up, emitting high-pitched sonics that shattered all the glass nearby.

Screaming in agony, the girl covered her ears and fell down to her knees.

Taking advantage of the opening, Robin dove from behind their hiding place and raced into the fray, revealing his bo staff.

With a roar of his own, he whipped it back and forth, cracking it across her face in the hopes of quickly knocking her unconscious.

The force of the blows rattled up his spine and he figured it was enough to subdue her.

Without warning, she snatched him by the front of his uniform and tossed him as easily as one would a beach ball.

Sailing through the air, Robin eventually landed on top of an SUV with sickening crunch.

Groaning as he pushed up to his elbows, he let out a gasp as the alien was divebombing towards him.

He rolled off just in time as her boot landed where his face had been.

As he retreated, he threw a volley of birdarangs all of which were either disintegrated or swatted away.

Entering a dangerous game of cat and mouse, Robin bounced off various vehicles with his assailant in hot pursuit.

Cyborg and Beast Boy were so stunned they could only watch the insane sight play out before them.

Eventually, The Boy Wonder's luck ran out. The girl grabbed ahold of his cape and yanked him backwards slamming him into a brick wall.

Not releasing her hold, she smashed him onto the hood of a truck, face-first.

As he groaned in pain, the girl raised him up by his cape, inspecting him closely.

Finally snapping out of their collective trance, Cyborg and Beast Boy began to dash over to assist but were stopped dead in their tracks by what happened next.

No one was more surprised than the Boy Wonder when the alien girl pulled him close and planted a kiss on his lips.

He incredulously opened his eyes in shock, trying to break free. Not being able to budge her, he closed his eyes, finding himself about to kiss back.

Any thoughts of that died when the girl dropped him like a sack of potatoes.

"Curse you!" She screeched in English. "All you _klorbags_ have done is delay me and in doing so, risk your planet's destruction."

"Hold up a second." Cyborg said, jogging over. "You wanna destroy the Earth?"

"Of course not! I care nothing for this mudball. Unfortunately for you, neither do the Gordanians and they are not as merciful as I am."

"So you trying to kill me was merciful?" Beast Boy asked indignantly.

"You threatened me first! Did you think I would not respond to your challenge of combat?"

"I was trying to make you laugh! Why would I wanna fight you? I don't even know you!"

"I…apologize." The girl said reluctantly. "On my planet, such actions are indicative of wanting to engage in combat."

"Well, on this planet, it's _supposed_ to be funny." Beast Boy pouted.

"Anyway," Robin broke in, "Who are these Gordanians? Why are they after you?"

"They are a race of barbarians. They have enslaved me and were bringing me to the Citadel homeworld as a trophy. I could not allow that."

Still not fully understanding, Robin pressed ahead anyway. "So you crash-landed and you're trying to escape?"

She nodded.

"We'll protect you, then. We don't take too kindly to alien invaders. Uh, no offense."

The girl laughed. "None taken. Although if you could not defeat me in single combat, I have trouble believing you can handle an army."

"You'd be surprised." Robin bristled.

"Hey, what's all this 'we' stuff?" Cyborg interjected. "I didn't sign up for an alien invasion."

Turning to go, his path was blocked by a green llama.

"Kid, get out of my way."

Morphing back, Beast Boy pleaded, "Aw, c'mon, Cy. You gotta stick around. We need you for this. Besides, how many times in your life are you gonna have the chance to fight an alien armada?"

"Hopefully just the one. And tell me you did not just unironically use the word armada?"

"Man, that's Robin over there. You can't tell me you've never wanted to team up with a big shot like him."

"I sure can. 'I have never wanted to team up with a big shot like him'. And isn't he a sidekick?"

"_Batman's_ sidekick. Think for a moment about how badass you have to be to be Batman's sidekick."

Victor put a hand on his chin and seemed to think it over. "Thought about it. Still not impressed. Step aside, Green Bean."

Morphing into a cat, Beast Boy turned up a pitiful gaze of pleading.

"Man, how do you do that? And how do your clothes magically stay on?"

Changing back, the boy let out a puzzled sound before he answered, "Y'know, I never thought to ask. But if you stick around, we can find out together…?"

Smirking, Cyborg brushed past him. "Nice try, but…"

A massive shadow appeared in the sky as an honest-to-God spaceship hovered over their heads.

"I guess it's too late to back out now, huh?" Victor asked in a small voice.

"Yep." Robin and Beast Boy affirmed in unison.

Heaving a sigh, Victor steeled his nerves. "Just checking."

The warship projected a holo-screen and the alien girl sneered upon seeing the face onscreen.

It was an ugly-looking salamander type-thing in battle armor that she clearly had a history with them.

"Earthlings! For your sakes, I hope my translator is working. It has come to my attention that a stowaway prisoner of ours has stumbled upon your world. Hand over the Troq and your backwater world will be spared. This is your only warning."

"So we hand over Trocky here and you'll just go away?" Cyborg shouted up at the image.

"Do NOT call me that!" The girl growled in outrage.

"Not an option." Robin cut in.

"Then you leave us with none, either."

The ship opened up and a swarm of scaly monsters spilled out, wielding various weapons.

Naturally, this sent the populace of Jump City into a massive panic.

Within the chaos, the Gordanian who had been onscreen calmly strode through the chaos in their direction, his wicked gleam focused squarely on his redheaded stowaway.

The girl's hackles raised in challenge.

Quickly diagnosing the situation, Robin turned to the other two boys. "Beast Boy! Cyborg! Protect the civilians at all costs and try to minimize the damage!"

"Who died and made you boss?!" Cyborg exclaimed incredulously.

"What are you gonna do?!" Beast Boy asked panickily.

Sidling closer to the alien, he said, "I'm going to help her with the big bad. If we take him out, we might be able to get the others to stand down."

"I do not require your assistance." She pointed out.

"Too bad. You're getting it." Robin countered.

Admittedly, Koriand'r wasn't used to such flippancy, considering she had been treated as royalty her whole life. However, it was a welcome change. This one showed spirit.

"Very well. Do not slow me down." She warned him, zooming towards Trogaar.

"Be careful." Robin ordered the others before following her.

"Stay close, B." Victor said. "This could get real ugly real fast."

"Speaking of ugly…watch out!"

Cyborg turned just in time to dodge an alien's attempt to skewer him.

Blood pumping, he unleashed a fierce blow that knocked the thing away from him. More started swarming towards him and he ran farther down the street in an attempt to lead them away from the civilians.

Once he put some distance between them, he bent down and grabbed hold of a car fender. With some effort, he was able to flip it end over end and flatten a few of his pursuers.

Not wasting any more time, he yanked a sign free of its post and flung it around as a weapon, swatting down anything that came close.

Meanwhile, Beast Boy was skittishly pacing, unsure what to do or where to start. He'd never been in a situation like this by himself.

To his left, he saw two young girls stumble on the curb, two nasties bearing down on them.

Finally making his legs work, he turned into a snapping turtle, nipping at the creatures' ankles and giving the girls time to run.

The monsters snarled down at him and Beast Boy involuntarily turtled into his shell before he recovered enough of his wits to morph into something with a little more firepower.

Changing into a skunk, he promptly turned his back to them and let loose a gust of flatulent spray.

The creatures cried out in a mix of outrage and pain before scrambling away.

Shifting back to his human form, the changeling wore a self-satisfied grin that quickly faded once he saw them return with more of their buddies.

Assuming the shape of a porcupine, he began firing rapid-fire quills that only seemed to annoy the aliens.

Whatever Robin and that girl were doing, he hoped they were doing it fast.

….

Robin was having as much luck fighting the Gordanian leader as he had with the redhead girl. Which was to say, not much.

He was getting small hits in here and there but the girl was doing most of the work.

This guy was no pushover, though. He had a wicked-looking battle axe that had come close to slicing Robin's head off more than once.

It was strong enough to withstand the bursts of energy the girl kept firing off.

The two combatants were going back and forth in a language Robin couldn't understand but the exchange seemed to piss the girl off.

With a war cry, she released another beam of energy that her would-be victim deflected back at her.

She was caught off-guard and her own attack sent her skidding down the street.

Glancing around, Robin noticed the Gordanians were cleverly driving Cyborg and Beast Boy in their direction. Best to keep all your enemies in one place.

"Everyone, gather together!" He shouted, trying to keep the fear out of his voice.

Regrouping, the four heroes backed into a semicircle, enclosed by the Gordanian army.

"A valiant effort, _heroes_." Trogaar mocked with false sympathy. "But alas, you sealed your fate when you intertwined your destinies with this Troq."

The creatures began to stalk closer when, out of nowhere, a piercing shriek screamed through the air.

A massive dark shape dominated the skyline above them. Upon closer inspection, it was in the shape of a bird.

It's wings emitted bursts of black energy that arced like lightning, eviscerating the Gordanians with horrible wails of pain as they dissipated as if they were never there.

Miraculously, their would-be victims were all unharmed.

They all stared, dumbfounded as the giant bird shrank down, leading back to a hooded figure who had their arms splayed out, controlling the apparition.

The person reached up to pull back their hood, revealing a gray-skinned, purple-haired young girl in a leotard with a red stone in her forehead.

She meekly lifted a hand and they all took an involuntary breath in anticipation.

"Hi."


	7. Chapter 2: Once Upon A Time

Chapter 2: Once Upon a Time…

"Hi."

"H-hey." Beast Boy waved awkwardly in return.

"Oh, thank you, little one!" The alien girl cried, racing over and crushing the younger one in a hug.

The gray girl's eyes bugged out as if she were just dropped into a blazing furnace.

The redhead didn't seem to notice as she pulled back, clasping her hands together. "I am most grateful to you for destroying my pursuers. Your power is most impressive."

"Yeah!" Beast Boy chimed in. "That was awesome!"

The girl blushed, nervously averting their gazes. "T-thank you."

"Hold on!" Robin shouted, breaking up the lovefest. "I need to know what's going on here." Turning to the hooded girl, he loomed over her diminutive frame. "Who are you?"

"It's a little hard to explain." She answered meekly.

"Try me." Robin demanded.

Before she could formulate an answer, the sound of sirens pierced the air.

"Not here." Robin decided. "We need to regroup and compare notes."

"Not me." Cyborg declared. "I'm gettin' out of here. Guys like me know what to do when we hear sirens."

"Cy, wait!" Beast Boy implored. "You gotta stick around."

"And why is that?"

Sidling closer, he whispered, "Dude, how many times in your life are you gonna meet a hot alien girl, a cute wizard chick, and the freaking Boy Wonder?! This could be destiny…or something."

"Right." Victor replied, rolling his eyes. "Or it's all a crazy coincidence that we can walk away from before things get worse."

"Pleeeeaseeee?" Beast Boy pleaded, before morphing into a wide-eyed kitten.

"I'm gonna regret this, aren't I?" Victor groaned.

Changing back, Beast Boy happily answered, "We'll never know unless we try!"

Waving him back towards the others, Victor reluctantly followed, knowing this kid would be the death of him.

"I have a place a few blocks from here." Robin spoke once they rejoined the others. "Follow me."

…

With Robin taking the lead, the five of them had wandered through side-streets, carefully avoiding being seen by the populace until finally the Boy Wonder stopped at a rather non-descript location adjacent to Wayne Enterprises.

"So your place is an alleyway?" Beast Boy asked skeptically. "I thought you'd have something a little more…cozy."

Robin smirked. "Prepare to be amazed."

Pressing a brick, the wall slid away as a secret entrance opened up.

Beast Boy let out a gasp of excitement as they all followed Robin down a stairwell to find his hidden bunker, tricked out with tech and gadgets galore.

"I'm not amazed, but it's impressive." Cyborg shrugged, snickering at Robin's displeased expression.

Looking as if he were trying to keep a grip on his sanity, Robin sat the others down around the evidence table and laid out sandwiches as if he were having a chat with friends instead of bizarro strangers he'd met less than an hour ago.

The alien girl eyed her sandwich strangely, unfamiliar with the meat. But something in particular caught her eye. Dabbing her finger in it, she held it up for inspection. "What is this yellow concoction?"

Robin looked puzzled for a moment before responding, "Oh! Uh, it's called mustard. It's a condiment meant to enhance flavor."

"I see." She glared at it as if daring it to taste bad. Hesitantly, she flicked out her tongue and erased it from her finger.

Her expression bore the intensity of a world-class chess player contemplating their next move before it morphed into an infectious beam of delight.

"This mustard is glorious! Is there more?!" She demanded eagerly.

"Um, yeah." Robin turned around to grab the bottle before walking over and handing it to her.

She eyed it as if it were her salvation and to his surprise and disgust, she began to guzzle the bottle as if it were a Gatorade.

Judging by Cyborg and Beast Boy's expressions, he wasn't alone in his revulsion. The other girl slowly pushed her plate aside, indicating her appetite seemed to be lost as well.

As the alien continued to slurp down the mustard, Robin cleared his throat.

"Okay. I think before anything else; we should get to introductions. I'll start. My name is Robin. I'm a crimefighter. Who's next?"

"That's it?" Cyborg scoffed. "You're not very trusting, are you?"

"Until I know more about you all? No. I'm not."

The two boys shared a tense staredown before the green one awkwardly raised his hand.

"I, uh, guess I'll start. My name's Beast Boy."

"It sounds more like a description than a name." the hooded girl pointed out.

"Well, uh, my real name is…" He sighed, anticipating the humiliation. "…Garfield."

"Garfield?" Cyborg asked, unsuccessfully trying to hold back a snicker. "Like the cat?"

"Yeah." He mumbled. "_Anyway_, I can turn into any animal. Well, not _any_ animal. I'm still working on the bigger ones but I'm getting there!"

Taking note of the others unimpressed expressions, he pressed on.

"Um, I'm 13. But I'll be 14 in March!"

"You must be a hit on St. Patty's day." Cyborg smirked.

"Ha ha. The green skin comes from a vaccine my parents gave me to save my life. It's not as bad as it sounds."

"And this vaccine gave you fangs and pointy ears, too?" Robin asked.

Self-consciously fingering his ears, he responded, "Yeah. Unfortunate side-effect. The vaccine is also the reason I can morph. Supposedly, if I make contact with an animal or I'm within range, my body can register its DNA and copy it. Don't ask how my clothes stay with me. I asked once and the answer gave me a migraine."

"And what disease causes you to need a vaccine that makes you turn into animals?" Robin asked quizzically.

"It's called Sakutia. I was bitten by a Green Monkey."

"I didn't know monkeys were green." The gray girl interjected thoughtfully.

"Not on this world, they're not." Cyborg chimed in, mystified.

"This monkey was like, super ultra-rare. Supposedly, its blood held the key to something or other. I don't really know or care. All I know is that the bite hurt."

"Are your parents worried about you?" The alien girl finally spoke up, her mustard bottle finally empty.

The kid's eyes glazed over. "I, er, guess they would be. If they were alive. They died when I was six. I don't like to talk about it."

"My apologies."

"It's cool. Ever since then, I've been raised by the Doom Patrol. We try to keep our existence on the downlow but we're a team of misfits in a world that hates and fears us." He announced dramatically.

"Never heard of them." Robin deadpanned.

Beast Boy huffed. "Of course you haven't. Our leader, Mento, doesn't like to call us superheroes. He says we're just doing what needs to be done. Anyway, the reason I came here is because the Patrol has been babying me way too much. I don't get to do much of anything." He murmured sheepishly. "So I came here to prove myself. It was the nearest city and I was just looking for some action and, well…it looks like I got it." He finished, gesturing around the table.

Nodding, Robin suddenly turned his sharp gaze onto the girl in the cloak. "So what's your story?"

"Um, I'm Raven." She meekly announced.

"Guess that explains the bird motif." Cyborg noted.

"I'm 13 years old too." She continued. "I was raised in the realm of Azarath. It's another plane of existence. There, we learn meditation and tranquility under the guidance of our goddess Azar. She teaches us how to use magic but never to harm."

"What you did to those aliens guys seemed pretty harmful." Garfield pointed out.

Looking guilty, Raven looked away. "I've never done anything like that before. It was…instinct. I saw all of you in trouble and assumed I was doing the right thing. I'm sorry."

"Do not be, Raven. You saved my life." The alien girl comforted.

"You saved _all_ of our lives." Beast Boy reassured. "So don't sweat it."

"Yeah." Cyborg agreed. "Sides, it seemed to me the freaks had it coming." Nodding to the redhead, he finished, "I think she'd agree with me."

Robin's gaze was as piercing as ever but the other girl's resolute nod and the others' encouragement gave Raven the courage to press on.

"I'm an empath. It means I can sense people's emotions. The little magic I know can move and repel objects, nothing too spectacular."

"So what brought you here?" Robin cut in.

Raven paused before answering cautiously, "My mother deemed me old enough to leave home and explore. She used to live on Earth and thought the experience would be good for me."

It wasn't a lie. Just not the whole truth.

Judging by Robin's dissatisfied frown, it seemed he could tell.

Nevertheless, he didn't press and instead turned to Cyborg.

"Your turn, big guy."

Caught off-guard, he blinked his eye and sat up a little straighter.

"I'm…Cyborg. My real name's Victor Stone and I'm legally dead."

"Hey, me too!" Garfield chimed in exuberantly. "Uh, sorry."

"Anyway, last summer I was driving in a pretty bad storm." He paused briefly to flash a grim smile that held no humor. "You can guess what happened next. The accident should've killed me. My father had been working on a secret project. He called it Cyborg. Hence the name. For the past 5 months, I've been a shut-in. The outside world is kind of a no-no for me now. Funny enough, I was out to prove myself tonight too. I figured with the stuff I can do now I could maybe…I dunno, be a hero or something. Sounds stupid when you say it out loud."

"It doesn't sound that stupid." Beast Boy promised. "Besides, your story sounds way cooler than getting bitten by a green monkey."

"Thanks, B." Victor responded with the ghost of a smile. "Anyway, that's how I met this little knucklehead." He continued, jabbing a thumb at Garfield.

Looking to Robin, he said, "Looks like you, me, and BB all had the same idea."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Everyone knows you're Batman's sidekick. I'm guessing you came here with something to prove too."

"Who's Batman?" Raven asked.

"You don't know who Batman is?!" Beast Boy screeched incredulously.

Raven's raised eyebrow gave him pause before he smacked his forehead. "Oh, right. Raised in another dimension."

"It doesn't matter." Robin interrupted. Turning his attention back to Cyborg, he asked, "What was Project: Cyborg for?"

"It's a big cybernetics breakthrough for the disabled. But there's some dude named Damien Darhk who wants it for some evil reason or another. He leads an organization called the H.I.V.E."

Robin put a hand under his chin thoughtfully. "I've heard a little about them. Do you have any leads?"

"Not really. If you hadn't noticed, I'm kind of new to the whole superhero gig."

"Well, I'm not. I can help you if you need it."

"We'll see." Looking behind him, Victor crossed his arms and said, "So I've been dying to know: What's _your_ story?"

The girl in question leveled his gaze, throwing her shoulders back and speaking with an authoritative tone.

"I am Princess Koriand'r of Tamaran, eighth planet in the Vega star system. In your language, my name would translate as Starfire."

"Starfire." Robin sounded out the name. "And what brings you here?"

"My captors." She said matter-of-factly.

"Well, yeah, but I mean…how did you get here?"

"The Gordanians were taking me to their homeworld as a prize. They are working in conjunction with the Citadel, Tamaran's bitter enemies for as long as we can remember. My world was under siege by them. Somehow, they knew information and secrets that they should never have had access to. We were being overrun until Lord Trogaar—the leader that you have slain…" she said, nodding at Raven. "…offered a solution. They demanded I be taken as a bounty. If I was turned over to them, they would spare Tamaran from annihilation."

"Any idea why they wanted you?" Robin asked carefully.

Starfire shook her head. "I have none. I have been enslaved on their ship for weeks." Her eyes burned with hate and something deeper before she took a shaky breath. "When I learned enough to make my escape, I broke free and commandeered a pod. I have no idea what galaxy I am in but I was shot down and the closest planet was this…Earth, as you call it."

"So can everybody on Tamarind fire green blasts and fly?" Garfield questioned.

"_Tamaran_." She corrected him. "And no. There is only one other Tamaranean who can do so. My sister, Komand'r."

"What's that translate to?"

Starfire paused for a moment before answering, "Blackfire."

"Cheery." Victor muttered. "So what makes you guys so special?"

"A scientific race known as the Psions captured us for experimentation once." She briefly lit up her hands and eyes. "These were the results."

"How did you get away?" Raven asked.

"The same way I escaped the last ones who kidnapped me." She wore a small self-satisfied grin. "By force."

"I know you two are new around here, but we typically don't accept lethal force." Robin pointed out disapprovingly to the girls. "Though, I guess, in cases like these exceptions are made."

"So can I go home now?" Cyborg asked.

"My thoughts exactly." Starfire cut in. "Do any of you have a spacecraft?"

"Sorry, no. Fresh out of spacecraft." Garfield joked.

"Then I request temporary shelter until one can be provided. I must return to Tamaran."

"And then what?" Robin questioned her. "Do you have a plan of attack?"

She sighed, shutting her eyes in frustration. "No."

"If the Gordanians and the Citadel still have Tamaran under their thumb, I doubt even you can turn the tide. Not by yourself. Your return might only make things worse especially when they find out what Raven did to their friends."

"Then what do you suggest?" She shot back.

"Sleep on it. Things'll look better in the morning."

She mulled it over for a moment before coming to a decision. "Very well. Does anyone have any suggestions for lodgings?"

"Not it." Victor and Garfield announced in unison.

Raven simply shrugged.

With that, Starfire turned expectantly to Robin.

He found he couldn't say no to those emerald eyes. "Fine." He huffed. "You can stay here."

"Excellent. As your new roommate, I must inform you: you will need more of the mustard."

"Great." Robin muttered.

"I think our work here is done." Victor announced, getting up to stretch. "Nice meeting ya'll. Hope we never have to do this again."

"Wait." Robin called, striding over to him. "About the H.I.V.E. Odds are, if I'm hanging around, I'll encounter them myself. It wouldn't hurt to work together on this."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying meet me in 3 days in the alley outside. Does 10 AM sound good to you?"

"Sure."

"Good." Robin nodded. "In the meantime, I'll do some research, ask some questions, see what I can find out. Deal?"

Victor looked down at the kid, arms crossed, mulling over the offer.

"Fine. Don't make me regret this."

On that note, Victor walked over to Beast Boy and put a hand on his shoulder. "So, B, you, uh, got a place to stay tonight?"

Garfield looked like a deer in the headlights before he waved a hand nonchalantly. "Pfff. Yeah, duh. Of course. You think I'd just come out here and _not_ have a place to stay? C'mon, quit kidding around, Cy!"

"Oookay then. Take it easy, kid." He said, patting his shoulder and making for the exit.

"You too." Garfield murmured.

He turned back briefly, tempted to ask Robin if he could stay in this warm and cozy hi-tech bungalow before thinking better of it. How lame would that look?

Shrugging, he followed Victor to the exit, pondering just where he was gonna sleep tonight.

Meanwhile, Robin intercepted Raven who had started floating her way out.

"Hold on. I just wanted to say…" He paused, laying a hand on her shoulder as she tried to hide her irritation. "Thank you for your help, Raven. You saved us. Have fun exploring, okay?"

"Thanks." She drawled suspiciously.

Giving him one last befuddled look, she turned and melted into the shadows to Robin's astonishment.

_She could give Batman a run for his money._

"Um…Robin?" For the first time since she got here, Starfire sounded unsure of herself. "Where shall I sleep?"

The Boy Wonder blinked out of his reverie and turned. "Oh, uh…" He nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "I hadn't thought that far ahead. This space was supposed to be for one person. Er, how about you take the cot and I'll sleep in the chair?"

"You are most kind, Robin."

"Don't mention it."

"My apologies." She dipped her head mournfully. "I did not mean to offend you."

"It's just an expression, Starfire. Don't sweat it."

"It would take an immense amount of heat to make me sweat."

"No, I just meant…never mind."

Robin sank into his office chair, absentmindedly looking at his bulletin board as Starfire uneasily adjusted herself on the cot.

"Tell me, Robin." She spoke up, breaking the silence. "How did you become a crimefighter, as you call it?"

"It's kind of a long story."

"It would seem I have nothing but the time."

He paused before continuing. "I had a…tragedy in my life. There was someone who could relate to what I was going through and he taught me the skills necessary to ensure it wouldn't happen to anyone else."

"I assume you are talking about this 'Batman'?"

"Yeah."

"Then why are you not with him now?"

"We've been having…problems lately. You know how Beast Boy said he felt he was being babied?"

She hummed in the affirmative.

"That's kind of my position right now. I came here for a fresh start, to show that I can handle things on my own, without his help."

"Well, you appear quite capable to me, Robin."

He smiled despite himself. "Thanks, Starfire."

"You are most welcome."

There was a silence before Robin was the one to break it. "So…tell me about Tamaran. What was it like?"

"It is a truly wondrous place, teeming with creatures of all shapes and sizes. We have found a balance between science and nature. My people are adamant that one must not overtake the other. Meteor showers are quite prevalent. Typically, the skies are quite vibrant. I wish I could show it you. My words hardly do it justice."

"And you said you were a Princess?"

"I still am. My circumstances do not change that."

"Are you in line to become Queen?"

"In extenuating circumstances, I would be considered to be Grand Ruler. But my sister Komand'r is first in line."

"Why didn't they take both of you? You said you're the only two who have powers, right?"

"Yes. However, we kept them a secret. Even our parents do not know about our abilities. I truly do not know why I was selected to be their prisoner, Robin."

"Sounds fishy to me."

Starfire frowned as her eyes began to droop closed. "What does this have to do with fish?"

"Sorry. Another Earth expression."

"Your idioms are quite strange, Robin."

"Yeah. Yeah, they are."

She let out a yawn and he couldn't help but join in.

"Goodnight, Robin." She sighed, letting her eyes shut.

"Goodnight, Starfire."

Soon enough, the girl was sleeping soundly and her deep breaths echoed throughout the bunker.

Turning to face her, he couldn't deny she looked rather cute like this, looking nothing like the fierce combatant she'd been a little over an hour ago.

Rising out of his chair, he walked over to his bulletin board, glaring intensely at the real reason he was here. Unfortunately, his main goal would have to be cast aside until all of this mess was sorted out.

_I haven't forgotten. _He thought, staring at the picture in the center of his board. _After all of this is over, I'm coming for you, Deathstroke._

A/N: **So the Titans have finally met! I'm excited to finally have all the preliminary stuff out of the way and get to the main story. Thank you to all who have read, followed, and favorited the story so far! It means a lot. We're just getting started, so stay tuned! Next up: The Teen Titans' first mission.**


	8. Chapter 3: Titans Rising

Jump City, 10 AM

A lone figure in a gray hoodie maneuvered the streets quickly and near-silently, hardly pausing until he finally reached his destination.

Stopping in the dark alleyway he'd visited three days prior, Victor Stone pushed back his hood and gave a cursory glance around, finding no one.

"All right man, I'm here." Cyborg called out in the darkness. "Ya got something for me or not?"

"Yeah." Robin announced, coming out of nowhere.

"Gah!" Cyborg jumped. "Damn, man, don't scare me like that."

"Sorry." Robin smirked, looking anything but. "Took some digging and some asking around but I found out where the central H.I.V.E. base is."

"Great. Give me the location and I'll check it out."

"Not so fast. It's going to take more than two of us, much less one. The place is huge and it's located on the water. So, unless you can fly or teleport us there…"

"You don't mean…" Cyborg groaned.

"I do."

"Man, I just said I hope we never have to do this again!"

Jump City Zoo, 10:36 AM

If a stranger walked by the petting zoo enclosure of the Jump City Zoo, they'd be in for quite a shock. A green goat was happily munching on hay alongside its momentarily confused brethren.

The day before, said goat had been a peacock. Before that, a Komodo dragon and an elephant before that.

Garfield had been hanging around the zoo ever since leaving Robin's bunker the other night. He'd been too tired and too afraid of Mento's wrath to return home and he'd been too embarrassed to ask the others for shelter.

Luckily, he'd had the brilliant idea to blend in with the animals at the zoo. Every day, he'd be discovered and simply become a different animal. He knew he should probably just suck it up and go home but he couldn't muster up the courage quite yet. If Steve didn't kill him, Rita certainly would.

"Nice place you got, Gar. Although, I'd do a little more decorating myself."

Morphing to normal form, Garfield was stunned to see Victor looming over him. "Victor! Good to see you, dude!" He cried, picking straw out of his hair.

He looked behind him to see Robin and Starfire. "What's the occasion?"

"Trouble." Robin declared.

"How'd you even find me?"

"Heard a lot of green animals were seen around here lately. Didn't take a lot of deductive reasoning."

"Heh. Guess not. What are we up against?"

"I'll explain on the way. We have to make one more stop."

Church Bell Tower

"Azarath Metrion Zinthos. Azarath Metrion Zinthos…"

As she chanted and calmed her thoughts, Raven thought over the events of the past few days.

Her whole life had been completely upended. She'd been practically forced to leave the only home she'd ever known to live with total strangers on a completely foreign world. She was all by herself and she was scared, worried, angry and…

The church bell cracked a smidgen before Raven took another steadying breath, reminding herself why she always had to mind her emotions.

She didn't fully understand why she had chosen to dwell in this place, but something told her it was a holy dwelling. Or at least it was supposed to be. It had also been the first warm place she'd found after leaving Robin's bunker a few nights ago. Since then, she kept asking herself why she wouldn't go see her Aunt Alice.

She'd told herself she wanted to fully process and get a hold of her emotions before being thrust into this new world but that wasn't entirely true. She was anxious and afraid she would be rejected or that they wouldn't believe her. Or worse, that she would be treated as an infectious disease or a fragile piece of glass. She'd never truly been able to be herself. She was forever cast with the label of the Daughter of Darkness and her inability to express herself hadn't done much to help her shed that label. Perhaps meditating in this place of solitude would help her figure out who she was away from the voices that had been in her ear all her life.

Remembering her final gift from her mother, she took the pendant from its place around her neck and lifted it to the light, scrutinizing it before her concentration was broken by the four presences behind her.

"How did you find me?" She ground out, without turning around.

"Placed a tracker on you the other day." Robin answered.

She whipped around, finding the others standing with him. "You had no right to do that."

"Look, the point is, it happened." He maintained. "We need your help. Are you in or not?"

"Fine. What is it?"

Oil rig

It had taken a couple of tries and a near-brush with a watery death, but Raven had managed to teleport the others to the destination Robin had indicated to her.

They were inside an oil rig just off the Jump City Coast. Environmentalist complaints aside, nobody paid it much attention and it didn't appear that much activity happened there.

But Robin had insisted that his 'sources' were accurate when they claimed it was a major HIVE hub. Supposedly, this Damien Darhk man Cyborg was after would be here this afternoon.

Making sure she avoided the other presences' she sensed inside, Raven had positioned them atop a stack of crates, tucked into the shadows. The interior had an eerie warehouse feel to it. Below them was a wide-open space where a swathe of men in fatigues were gathered. They were all facing a platform as if waiting for someone to appear. Presumably Mr. Darhk.

"These guys seem like mercenaries, if I had to guess." Robin whispered.

Cyborg's eyes scanned the area fervently before settling on his intended target. "Here comes our guy."

Beast Boy irritatingly leaned over her shoulder to get a closer look at the man who stepped forward on the stage with a swagger in his step.

He was wearing a dark suit and a devilish smile. Atop his head was a shock of white hair that made him stand out among the throng before him. His eyes gleamed with malevolent delight as he cleared his throat before addressing his army.

"Thank you for coming this afternoon, Gentlemen! Of course, this was a mandatory meeting so you had no choice but let's not split hairs." He paused as if waiting for a laugh but was met only with blank stares. "Anyway, I called this little powwow to ensure that everyone has their orders for tomorrow's weapons shipment. The supplies should be arriving here at about noon tomorrow. So I want all of you in position by 10:30." He nodded to a man in the crowd saying, "Alvarez, you're in charge of coordination. I trust that I won't have to be here personally for everything to run smoothly?"

"No sir!" The subordinate responded.

"Goodie. I'll have to give STAR Labs a fruit basket or something for their contributions to our cause." He mulled it over a moment before murmuring, "Then again, until he completes Project: Cyborg, perhaps I shouldn't butter up Dr. Stone too much, hm?"

He chuckled and this time some of his men joined in while Cyborg visibly tensed up.

Raven wasn't feeling too hot herself. Ever since she'd laid eyes on this man, she'd been feeling sickly. He gave off an odd vibe that felt somehow familiar, but she couldn't place where she might have felt it before.

Meanwhile, Damien continued speaking, "Keep this up, boys, and the Master will be quite pleased."

Raven found it hard to focus on his words as a pressure behind her eyes began to build.

"Raven? Are you all right?" Starfire asked her concernedly.

Suddenly, something clicked. A spike of fear rose in her chest and that was all it took as the crate they were on was splintered by dark energy causing them all to tumble directly into their enemies' sightline.

There was a long beat of silence as everyone in the room froze.

The silence was broken by the sound of dozens of weapons being trained on the intruders as Damien chuckled in the background.

"Well, this was unexpected. I don't suppose you all are here to offer your services and undying allegiance to me, are you?"

Robin spared Raven a withering glare before turning it on the HIVE leader. "No."

Damien tutted. "Pity." Addressing his soldiers, he waved a dismissive hand. "Kill them."

Robin fired a grappling hook to the rafters just as the gunfire let loose. Hidden in the shadows, he began raining down birdarangs and explosive discs, wreaking havoc.

Cyborg was grazed by a couple bullets before he found cover behind a pillar. Lifting up a finger, he began firing mini-beams only designed to stun.

Raven put up a shield just in time to halt the spray before pushing the shield outward and flattening her attackers.

Beast Boy morphed into a marmoset monkey, nimbly dodging and weaving his way through the army before changing into a pig and tripping people up left and right.

Starfire began hurling starbolts onto the battlefield with reckless abandon, only serving to make the scene even more chaotic.

Slowly retreating, Damien took in the scene before him.

The orange girl had to be the alien who crash-landed earlier in the week. She'd vanished without a trace along with the rest of them but here she was. The green kid was a stranger to him, but it appeared he had some remarkable little abilities. Everyone knew who the Boy Wonder was. It was a surprise to see him outside of Gotham. Hopefully Batman wasn't around. The Dark Knight and his Justice League friends lurking about was the last thing they needed. They'd picked Jump City for its anonymity, after all.

The kid seemed to be going through a phase of teenage rebellion if the spiked hair and boots were any indication, so perhaps he and the Bat had split up. He'd still have to die, of course. They couldn't risk him leaking word to Batman or the League about their little hideaway.

He'd definitely never seen the gray girl before but there was something off about her that he couldn't shake. She exhibited some magical abilities but that wasn't it. Probing deeper, he finally sensed it.

_The Portal_.

Unfortunately, they'd probably have to leave her alive. Although being who she was, it was highly unlikely she'd die until her destiny was fulfilled. If nothing else, this would be a good chance to observe her abilities.

And as for the tin man…he vaguely reminded him of someone. He felt like he'd seen the young man somewhere before but couldn't put his finger on it.

Whoever he was, he seemed hellbent on getting to him. The kid was rather impressively mowing down agents left and right, staring him down all the while.

The poor fool. He'd be in for a rude awakening should he make it out alive. He'd have no chance against him.

Sighing and popping his collar, he made for the exit, deciding to leave the task to his subordinates today. If fate smiled upon him, he'd never see any of these children again save for the girl in the hood.

…

"Damn it, he's getting away!" Cyborg cried as he tossed a HIVE agent into a squadron of his pals.

Robin wasn't exactly enthused about the prospect either but decided to make a quick scan of the battlefield before pursuing. What he saw didn't exactly please him.

Raven was hidden behind a crate, clutching her temple, chanting to herself. She was either having a panic attack or losing control of her powers.

There were men trying to move in on her, but Beast Boy intercepted them in the form of a mountain goat, headbutting left and right while dancing away from gunfire. He couldn't last forever, though, especially trying to protect Raven and himself.

Robin was about to call Starfire to assist them when he heard a yowl make itself heard across the battlefield.

His head whipped down to see Starfire in the center of a circle of smoking unconscious soldiers. She currently had the last man standing locked in a death grip, searing his arms as he begged for mercy.

"FALL BACK!" Robin roared.

"WHAT?!" Starfire and Cyborg yelled in equal amounts of disbelief.

"YOU HEARD ME!"

Swinging down from the rafters, Robin kicked two thugs on his way down before making his way over to Beast Boy and Raven, helping to fend off the enemy.

"CYBORG! STARFIRE! GET OVER HERE!"

Starfire begrudgingly sped over, confused while Cyborg sneered before running over as they were surrounded by those left standing.

"What now, Fearless Leader?" Cyborg scoffed in irritation.

In lieu of an answer, Robin dropped a smoke bomb and by the time the fog dissipated the team was gone.

Jump City Pier, Minutes later

It had taken some swiftly whispered commands, but they had been able to escape alive. Starfire had grabbed a recovering Raven in one arm and a raging Robin in the other. Beast Boy had become a condor and with great effort, managed to pull Cyborg across the bay.

When they finally landed, Beast Boy collapsed, panting and gasping for breath.

Raven shrugged out of Starfire's hold and looked down in shame.

Cyborg looked like he wanted to punch somebody but couldn't figure out who while Starfire appeared confused by everyone's behavior.

Robin's steely gaze scanned over all of them.

Finally, he settled on Raven. "You wanna tell me what that was all about?"

She lifted her head, her gaze burning with rage she was desperately trying to tamp down on for fear she'd blow something else up. Most likely Robin.

"I'm tired of you singling me out and getting in my face." She spat, baring her teeth.

"I wouldn't have to if you didn't keep making mistakes!" He retorted, pointing an accusatory finger at her.

Starfire stepped protectively in front of the younger girl. "I believe you made the mistake in signaling the retreat, Robin."

"Oh, yeah?" He laughed without humor. "What was the better option, keep letting you kill people?"

"They are the enemy, Robin." She insisted. "Where I am from, threats are dealt with immediately, not set aside for later."

"Well, we're not where you're from, are we?" He stated coldly.

She looked away so he wouldn't see her glassy eyes. "I suppose not."

"Hey!" Cyborg strode over, towering over Robin. "Bit of a dick move, don't ya think?"

"It's called leadership." The smaller boy shot back. "You point out mistakes so the team can get better."

"A team? Is that what we are? Last I checked, you came to me, remember? I told you to give me the location and I would handle it myself. Instead, you nearly got BB killed because he was too busy defending the witch girl."

Raven flinched almost imperceptibly.

"Cy, chill out, dude." Garfield tried to intervene. "It's not such a big deal."

"Maybe 'BB' would have had a better shot if he wasn't changing into such useless animals." Robin bit out.

"Excuse me?!" Garfield screeched. "If you can do so much better, why don't you try it? I told you that bigger animals are hard for me. Transforming so often takes a strain. Besides, you're the only one here who doesn't have any powers so who died and made you boss?"

"I'm not the boss. I'm _trying_ to be the leader."

"Well, thanks for nearly leading us to our doom." Raven interjected, dripping with sarcasm. "Fantastic work."

Robin wheeled on the empath, ready with a comeback, when he was cut off.

"STOP!"

Starfire's voice echoed across the pier, instantly silencing everyone.

Once she was certain she had everyone's attention, she began to speak.

"It is quite clear we all have our differences. But our common goal remains the same, does it not? Cyborg, this H.I.V.E. is full of bad people, yes?"

He nodded.

"Then to protect your planet, we must eliminate them." Sharply glancing at a disapproving Robin, she added, "Despite my distaste for them, I will obey your culture's norms. We will defeat them, not destroy them." Nodding at Beast Boy, she said, "We are a team. Which means you do not have to shoulder these burdens alone. If and when you are able to transform into larger animals, you will only be an even greater asset than you are now. But even then, we must make up for each other's weaknesses." She paused again to face Robin. "Such as not having powers." Turning to the others, she added, "Or learning to control said powers."

"I believe true leadership would recognize that." She finished.

If anyone had any doubt she was a princess before, they certainly didn't now.

There was a beat of silence before Beast Boy asked, "Can we make Starfire leader?"

"Hear Hear." Cyborg chimed in, visibly impressed.

"I have no complaints." Raven murmured.

Starfire offered a tiny smile. "As much as I appreciate that, Robin was the one who gathered us all together. Both a few nights ago and today. We would not have even known the HIVE's location if not for him. My ignorance of your planet's culture and customs would also serve as a hindrance. Thus, I nominate Robin as leader."

Her smile in his direction warmed him down to his toes. "Thanks."

"Do not mention it." She grinned.

He smiled back before sheepishly facing the others. "I'm sorry. I'm not used to working with people I don't know intimately. Whether with Batman or friends I've met over the years, I've always known their tendencies and abilities. With you all, I don't have much to go on. And I'm a bit of a control freak."

"A bit?" Beast Boy quirked an eyebrow.

"Anyway, I'd still really appreciate having you guys' help taking down the HIVE. If not for Cyborg, I wouldn't have known how big their operation was. They definitely have to be stopped. Beyond that, it's up to you guys where we go from there."

Awkwardly sticking his hand out, he prompted: "Partners?"

The others stared at him, a storm of emotions on their faces before Starfire put her hand atop his.

Beast Boy shrugged and joined before nodding at Cyborg to do the same. He sighed before copying the gesture.

Everyone else looked at Raven who looked as if she wanted to leave. She shut her eyes tightly before releasing a breath and putting her hand in.

"Don't take this the wrong way. But I hate human contact." She paused thoughtfully before adding, "Or alien. Just contact in general."

The others laughed before drawing their hands back.

Robin cleared his throat before speaking. "So, as leader, I suggest we find a way to stay in contact. We need a base of operations or some kind of meeting place. There's no way we're letting you go back to the zoo, Beast Boy. And Raven, if you want, I'm sure we can find you a better spot than that bell tower."

"I may have an idea about that…" Victor spoke out.

…

_What a day_, Silas Stone thought as he flopped onto his couch. He'd just gotten off the phone with Damien Darhk. Apparently, a meeting of his had been gatecrashed today and a techno-organic being was among the intruders.

His son had been gone since this morning, saying he had some "business to take care of." It didn't take much to connect the dots.

When asked if he knew anything about it, Silas had obviously said no. Still, he knew that wouldn't sate Darhk's suspicions much if at all.

He closed his eyes, silently praying Victor was all right when he heard the doorbell ring.

Sighing as he got up, Silas tiredly answered his door to find his son standing there with the oddest trio he'd ever seen.

There was a grinning green boy with fangs, a gloomy gray girl who shyly had her hood drawn tightly over her head, and the tall alien girl from the news who had crash-landed a week ago.

"Hey, dad." Victor spoke first. "I made some friends."

"I see." Stepping back, he invited them in. "Come inside. What can I do for you all?"

"Cyborg says you can help us find a base." Robin interjected, melting out of the shadows.

"God!" Silas lurched back, hand over his heart.

"Sorry. He does that." Victor apologized, glaring at the smirking Boy Wonder.

Regaining his composure, Silas straightened up and asked, "What kind of a base? What's going on here?"

"Well, Dad, these are my…new friends." Victor acknowledged. "I told them about HIVE and they're willing to help us take them out of commission."

"I heard about your little excursion earlier. 'Taking care of business', huh?"

"Yeah, it didn't quite go as planned." Victor replied sheepishly, rubbing his neck.

"Son, these are dangerous people. You're all a bunch of children. How are you supposed to stop a global organization like this?"

"Hopefully with your help, Doctor." Robin cut in.

"I can't aid you all in getting killed, son."

"Dad, c'mon." Victor coaxed. "You said you were willing to help me expose these guys. And that was before I had help. If the Justice League isn't coming out here to save the day, why not us?"

Silas mulled it over before looking at the others. "What can you all even do?"

Garfield stepped forward and put a hand on his chest. "I'm a shapeshifter." Jabbing a thumb at Raven, he said, "She's a wizard." Finally turning to Starfire, he said, "And she's a total badass."

"Is that…good?" Starfire ventured.

"Very." Robin answered, a small smile on his face.

That brought a cheery grin to her face.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Silas asked, "So what's your next move?"

Victor nodded at Robin who addressed the doctor. "We overheard that there's a weapons shipment happening tomorrow at noon at the same location. I think we should go back tomorrow and break it up." Looking back at his teammates, he offered a half-smile. "And this time, we're gonna win."

"What's going to make this time around any different?" Raven asked.

"Because this time we're going to work together. Today we were all fending for ourselves. At least as best we could." He paused, glancing at Beast Boy. "We should coordinate attacks. I think Cyborg and Beast Boy should stay together and watch each other's backs. Starfire and Raven, together you can give us an advantage. You can attack from above and keep an eye out for any wild cards."

"And who's gonna watch your back, dude?" Garfield asked.

"I've had enough practice. I can be all over the place, helping where I'm needed."

The others nodded in agreement.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Silas asked.

"Yes." Robin replied. "Keep being our eyes and ears on the inside. You're the only advantage we've got over the H.I.V.E."

"And…" Victor put in, "Would it be too much to ask if the others were able to bunk here for a while? At least until we can find some place to crash."

"I don't see why not. As long as you kids are watching my son's back, I'll watch yours."

"Thanks, Dad." Victor smiled, surprising his father with a hug.

Stepping back, he gestured to the others. "I'm guessing you already know Robin. This is Beast Boy, Starfire, and Raven." He introduced, pointing to each of them in turn.

"Nice to meet you, sir." Garfield said, shaking Silas' hand.

"Thank you for your generosity." Raven meekly nodded as she floated past him to inspect his home.

"Your hospitality is greatly appreciated." Starfire promised, bear-hugging the man with surprising strength.

"You're welcome." Silas wheezed as she released him. Straightening his glasses, he spoke up, "Please, make yourselves at home. Victor can show you around. I'll be in my study."

"We can't thank you enough for this, Doctor." Robin declared once Silas entered his vicinity.

"It's no trouble. Something tells me this city's going to need you kids."

Patting the Boy Wonder's shoulder, he continued to make his way down the hall until he was out of sight.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Robin began to walk towards the front door.

"Where ya going?" Cyborg's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Back to my place." Robin said over his shoulder. "You guys won't need me here. I'll be back here at about eleven or so tomorrow morning. Be ready."

"Aw, Rob, you're gonna miss the sleepover!" Beast Boy implored.

"Thanks, but I'll pass."

"Are you sure you will not join us, Robin?"

He knew if he turned around to meet Starfire's gaze she would wear him down. He hadn't known her long, but she tended to have that effect on him.

"Sorry. There's still some work I have to do. See you all tomorrow."

On that note, he opened the door and faded into the night.

_That kid takes himself way too seriously_, Victor thought.

Victor's inner dialogue was interrupted by a loud crunching sound coming from the kitchen.

Laughing to himself, he entered the space to find Garfield chowing down on a bag of potato chips as if it were water in an oasis.

"Is that good?" Victor teased in jest.

"Tin cans and hay haven't exactly been doing it for me, dude." The boy replied, crumbs spilling off his chin.

"Well, help yourself to some meatballs in the fridge if you want to heat them up."

"Er, I think I'll stick to the snacks for now. Thanks, though."

"You sure?" Victor pressed. "I can make some burgers or something."

Gar's eyes briefly bugged out in terror. "Really, I'm good. I promise."

Vic quirked an eyebrow before shrugging in resignation. "Okay then. Have at it, Gar."

Sighing in relief, he returned to the bag as if it were a lifeline. "You don't have to tell me twice."

The sound of an ad for hemorrhoid cream told Victor that Starfire had figured out how to turn on the TV.

By the time Victor got into the living room, the girl had settled on a football game.

"Are these events considered gladiatorial games?" She asked when he joined her on the couch.

"Sorta. Are those common on your planet?"

"All of Tamaran is captivated by such games. The teams are divided into Northern Tamaran vs Southern."

"So you're a sports fan?"

She nodded eagerly. "How is this one played?"

Glancing over his shoulder, he spotted Raven observing some of his father's paintings in the corner.

"I'll explain it to you later." Victor promised, standing up and moving in her direction.

Silently, Victor sidled alongside her. "Hey, I, uh…I'm sorry for calling you a witch earlier."

"It's okay." She answered without looking at him. "You weren't wrong."

"Yes, I was. I of all people should know better than to go around tearing people down. I was just frustrated and you didn't deserve any of that. From me or Robin."

She finally looked over with a wan smile. "Thanks."

"No problem." He smiled back. "Hungry?"

She nodded as she followed him towards the kitchen.

…..

After a hearty dinner of burgers and burritos, the quartet had decided it best to go to bed after a long day.

It had been the biggest dinner the Stones had ever hosted. Previously, the largest number of occupants had been three when his mother was still alive. Victor had never been close to his grandparents and both his parents were only children meaning there were no family events hosted at his house. Even when he'd had Ron and Marcy over, his parents were typically busy with something or other.

Dinner that night had almost felt like having siblings who were all different skin tones. He'd finally gotten Garfield to eat actual food. He'd suspiciously decided not to eat meat with his burrito saying it would upset his stomach. Raven had picked at her burger like a bird and had only taken a few bites of white rice.

Starfire, unlike the other two, hadn't needed any encouragement to dig in. She'd wolfed down four burgers in under a minute and a half and finishing Raven's burger for her had made it just under two. Once she found out they had mustard, it was a done deal. Victor had tried to talk her into drinking something else but she had insisted. He'd eventually talked her out of drinking the whole bottle. Never in his life did he think he would have to limit someone's mustard intake.

Sleeping arrangements had been made pretty easily. Victor had given up his room to Garfield, getting a chance to proudly show off some of his sports trophies. They had never really impressed his father, but Gar looked at them as if they were Olympic gold medals.

To Victor's surprise, his father had given his room to Raven and allowed her access to any reading material that might catch her fancy. Despite her best efforts to hide it, she seemed excited at the prospect of finding something new to sink her teeth into. The light under the door had been left on for a while after they had said goodnight so Vic could only assume she had found something good.

Silas had retreated to sleep in his study after getting Starfire adjusted in the guest room. Victor had overheard her ask his father about all the pictures of his wife he had stashed in there. When asked why, he had said he needed the space. However, Victor knew the truth. It was less painful keeping any reminder of his mom in a room neither of them dared go into.

As Victor laid on his couch, his thoughts couldn't help but wander to tomorrow's mission and all the ways it could go wrong.

Much as he'd resisted it at first, he was starting to grow attached to these guys. He didn't want any of them hurt on his account. It only served as further motivation to take HIVE out. If they didn't stand up to these guys, who knows who else would pay?

Releasing a shaky breath, he finally closed his human eye and let sleep overtake him, determined to protect his city and his new friends no matter what it took.

…..

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Garfield turned over to see the bedside clock read 6:45 AM.

If he'd had his way, he'd still be asleep. But he supposed Doom Patrol training habits died hard.

At least, that's what he kept telling himself. He'd woken up at least once an hour since going to sleep last night. He was a ball of nervous energy. Despite Starfire's encouraging words yesterday, he still felt a little lame for struggling with larger animals. He'd been trying to "think big" ever since he'd gotten these powers but to little avail. Having the Doom Patrol at his back had always made everything easier. But now he was on his own. Steve and Rita weren't here to shield him. He was going to sink or swim on his own merits from here on out.

His nose twitched as a glorious scent reached his nostrils. The smell of freshly-sliced fruit and smoothies beckoned him to get dressed and blearily stumble his way downstairs.

What he found was a breakfast spread that had something for everyone.

The entire kitchen island was overflowing with bountiful breakfast items. There was toast, bacon, eggs, waffles, fruit, smoothies, coffee, orange juice, and to top it all off? Pop Tarts.

At the center of all this chaos was Cyborg who was picking at a plate of eggs.

"Wow, Cy." Garfield greeted in a low voice. "What's with the Continental Breakfast?"

His friend merely shrugged in response. "I didn't get much sleep last night. With the way I am now, I don't need as much as I used to. Cooking's become a nervous habit of mine. Over the years, I had to pick up a lot of it myself. We're not too big on family meals around here."

"Mind if I dig in?" Gar asked, eyeing the Pop Tarts and orange juice.

"Nah, man." Victor answered with a sarcastic eye roll. "I'm gonna eat this gigantic spread all by myself."

"Har har." Garfield mocked, snatching up a Pop Tart and some fruit.

"My dad went out for some donuts and pastries if you want to save room for some of those."

"Sounds awesome." Garfield grinned. "Thanks, dude."

"Anytime. What kind of host would I be if I didn't hook ya'll up?"

They began eating in companionable silence before a black portal opened before them, scaring them half to death.

"Crap, girl!" Victor cried out. "Give us a little warning next time."

Raven grimaced apologetically as she bit into some toast while Garfield finished choking on some of his orange juice.

"So what's our strategy for today?" Raven asked as she sat down between the two boys.

By the time Starfire had joined them, Garfield was eagerly putting in ideas while talking through a mouthful of jelly donut as Raven glowered with irritation.

As expected, Starfire was a bottomless pit sampling everything there was to offer while giving hearty compliments and letting out even heartier belches.

Raven didn't seem to find it nearly as funny as Victor and Garfield. Even Silas couldn't help but be amused. He hadn't seen his son this happy in a while and for a moment he could forget that they were superhuman teenagers going on a death-defying mission in a few short hours.

Eventually, the kids had moved to the living room to channel surf until Robin arrived. Raven wasn't paying much attention. Instead, she was in a trance, eyes closed. Starfire's gaze kept furtively glancing towards the front door, awaiting Robin's arrival. Garfield was endlessly twiddling his thumbs and silently tapping his foot. Victor was doing his best to appear nonchalant, but his father could see the worry on his son's face that was surely reflected on his own.

Steeling his nerve before he lost his chance, Silas put a hand on Victor's shoulder and motioned for him to follow him to the hallway.

Once he was sure they were out of earshot, Silas asked the big question.

"Are you sure you're ready for this? It's not too late to alert the authorities."

"Dad, I'm not gonna lie to you. I'm pretty sure we're all terrified. Well, except maybe Starfire. But if the cops go in there, it's just gonna be a firefight they might not be able to handle."

"And what makes you so sure you all can?" His father challenged.

"I'm not. But I've got a feeling."

"You'll forgive me if I don't feel comfortable with you entrusting your life on a 'feeling'."

"Robin'll be leading us." Victor offered optimistically.

"The boy looks sixteen at best." Silas deadpanned.

"And he's worked with Batman. When it comes to that, age ain't nothin' but a number."

"You know eventually they'll figure out what you are. I won't be able to protect you anymore."

"They'll have to catch me first. Besides, I don't think I need you to protect me anymore. I need you to trust me."

"I do. It's just…I worry."

"I know. But I tend to do well in high pressure situations. You'd know that if you went to one of my games." He winced. "Sorry. Low blow."

"It's okay. It's a fair point. Just promise me one thing?"

"I'll be safe, Dad."

"Not that. I know you will be. After all, Starfire will be there." He joked, making them both laugh. Getting serious again, he said, "Give 'em hell, son."

Victor gave a determined nod. "Count on it."

Their conversation was interrupted by the door swinging open.

Right on time, Robin entered wearing a grim expression on his face reminiscent of his mentor's. "Everybody ready?"

Oil Rig, 12:00 PM

"Everybody ready?" The commander asked as the weapons caches were transported to the island.

"Yeah, Alvarez. Transport's coming in just as scheduled and not a sign of those damn kids from yesterday."

Despite Chandler's reassurance, Alvarez had an uneasy feeling.

Everything appeared in order. The shipment was coming in as planned. Unbeknownst to the general public, this island had secret passageways underneath that led to the city. Luckily, this complex wasn't completely on the water so trucks were able to make their way from the tunnels up to the main complex fairly easily. Everyone was where they should be from the bottom of the hill to the stairwells and catwalks. Truck drivers, guards, snipers…

Looking around, Alvarez squinted at a catwalk to his right. "Wasn't there a guard posted up there?"

"I dunno. Maybe he went to take a piss or somethin'. Who cares?" Chandler dismissed.

"You know how particular the boss is about stuff. Just don't want anything going wrong."

"Like what?" Chandler scoffed.

"Like this." A new voice put in.

Alvarez turned around to watch Chandler's lights get knocked out by Gotham's resident Bird Boy.

Alvarez hefted his gun, ready to fire when Robin waved a finger at him. "I wouldn't, Alvarez."

"Yeah? And why not?"

"Because you've seen what my friend does to people who piss her off."

Suddenly, Alvarez felt a searing heat on his neck, and he whipped around to see the alien girl, eyes ablaze as her hand glowed with green energy aimed straight at his face.

"What's going on here?"

A black portal opened up down the road and swallowed up the weapons caches on the back of the trucks one by one. Across the bay, another black hole was in the sky, depositing the caches to some very confused police officers on the other side of the bay.

"Party's over, pal." Cyborg said, coming from the side and punching Alvarez out.

A simultaneous cry of outrage rang out.

The other mercenaries had finally discovered what was going on.

"Shall we?" Robin asked.

Starfire smirked as she charged up her starbolts. "We shall."

She began firing rapid fire bursts, scattering the army while Cyborg fired rubber bullets from his arm taking them out.

Meanwhile, Robin began to disarm the snipers up top. As planned, they all began to rush down to assist and were met at the bottom of the staircase by a green kangaroo.

"You gotta be kidding me." One guy pointed out.

Bravely charging forward, he instantly regretted his big breakfast that morning when the marsupial launched a devastating kick to his gut.

His friends rushed forward to avenge him and Garfield hopped outside, leading them to a waiting Raven.

Wrenching metal pieces out of the surrounding area, she spiked them into the ground making a prison of winding metal encasing his pursuers inside, weaponless and neutralized.

Changing back to human form, Garfield grinned in Raven's direction and she gave him a small smirk in return, satisfied by their success.

"I wonder how the others did?" He wondered aloud.

A man's shout of alarm was heard as he crash-landed out of the sky in front of the two teens.

They turned to see Cyborg dusting off his hands, flanked by Robin and Starfire. "I think we did okay for ourselves."

"Did you get everyone out?" Robin asked the others.

They all nodded in reply.

"Good." Robin smiled, pressing a trigger on his belt.

_BOOOOOM!_

Like a classic action hero, Robin refused to turn around to acknowledge the firestorm behind him. "That should send the appropriate message."

"And what would that be?" Cyborg inquired.

Whirling around to watch the dying embers, he answered, "That we're coming for them."

Damien Darhk's Hideout, Unknown Location

While Alvarez had managed to wake up and escape from the chaos earlier, the look on his boss' face made him wish he hadn't. If it were possible, his wife's cold glare was even more terrifying.

"What. Exactly. Happened?" Damien Darhk asked his underling through gritted teeth as he quickly invaded his personal space.

"It was those kids who showed up yesterday. They got the jump on us, sir. It won't happen again."

"…Mm-hm." Turning to his wife, Darhk prompted: "Ruve? Darling, what do I do to those who fail me?"

"Make them regret it." She responded with a sadistic and knowing grin.

"Oh, you know me so well."

Lashing out as quick as a cobra, Darhk grasped Alvarez by the face and began siphoning his lifeforce away until his former minion was nothing but a lifeless husk.

"Pity. I liked you, Alvarez." Damien tutted at the corpse. "But I can't have weak links in my organization."

"What now, sweetie?" Ruve asked.

"Now I need you to call someone to collect this trash." Whipping out his cell phone, he said, "I'm going to call Dr. Stone and see if he knows anything about Mr. Robot."

Silas Stone's House

"No. No, sir. I'll keep you posted if I learn anything new. Believe me, I'm just as interested in this new development as you are. Goodbye."

As Dr. Stone ended the call, he did his best to fight the smile threatening to split his face in two.

As he turned in his chair to face his son and his new friends, he saw they all seemed to be having the same issue.

"He's pretty pissed, you know." Silas smirked. "His tell is when he's unbelievably calm."

"Good." Victor smiled. "He should get used to the feeling."

Glancing at all five teens in turn, Silas asked, "So you all are sticking to this?"

"We have to see this through." Robin answered.

"Y'know, Doc…" Garfield spoke up. "We had an idea. Well, I had an idea."

"And what's that?"

"With that oil rig all smashed up, all that's left is a pretty sweet little island in the middle of the ocean. Nobody's using it now and we still need a place to hang out…"

Catching on, Silas leaned forward in excitement. "Garfield, my boy, I like the way you think…"

The kid's toothy grin could've lit up the dark side of the moon.

A month later

Where the HIVE headquarters once stood, a new structure was in its place. The T-shaped building gleamed defiantly, looming above the five teens staring up at it.

"So how did you get the city to allow us to have this place built again?" Victor asked.

"I called in a little help." Robin replied, recalling the incident.

One month ago

"_Robin, you were supposed to be in Jump for a couple of days. A week or so at best. You are NOT there for this." _Batman's glare was no less intimidating through a computer screen.

"_I can do this, Bruce! This place needs heroes. I already told you Deathstroke is here and there've been rumors of…"_

"_I told you not to engage Deathstroke. He's dangerous and more than you can handle."_

"_How would you know? You've never faced him."_

"_Exactly."_

"_I've been trained by the best. You."_

"_You're only fifteen, Dick." _Bruce sighed._ "This man has had decades of combat experience. He's a killer, through and through. No gimmicks, jokes, or riddles like in Gotham. Speaking of which, I want you back here. Now."_

"_And abandon my team?"_

"_They are not your team. They are a band of misfits who were in the right place at the right time. The alien girl is a threat, the changeling belongs to another team, and the other two are unknowns."_

"_The kid doesn't seem so eager to get back to the Doom Patrol to me. Cyborg and Raven are okay in my book and Starfire is not a threat."_

"_Starfire?"_

"_That's what I said, isn't it?"_

Batman's eyes narrowed._ "So what now? You build a little clubhouse and chase down Mumbo and Ding Dong Daddy? They're low-level threats. You just want an excuse to be on your own, away from me."_

"_Is it that obvious?" _Robin sneered before sighing and looking away. _"Look, these guys need somebody. I don't know much about Raven, but she looks to be all alone in the world. Cyborg feels like a freak. Beast Boy's got a good heart. And Starfire's stranded here. She couldn't even go home if she wanted to. I just want to be there for them the way you were for me."_

He was silent for a moment. _"You're serious about this?"_

"_Yes." _He answered resolutely.

"_What would you do? No hunting Deathstroke, no BS."_

"_The H.I.V.E. is operating in town."_

"_They have been on the League's radar for a while." _Batman mused, hand under his chin.

"_Just give us a chance. Please." _Robin urged.

_The two's gazes locked in an intense battle of wills, neither willing to flinch._

"_Dick? Is that you?" _A cheery voice interrupted.

Robin's demeanor instantly changed, melting into a warm smile as a familiar face came onscreen. _"Hey, Clark. What's up?"_

"_Not much." _The Man of Steel waved a hand nonchalantly._ "Natural disasters, intergalactic despots, the usual." _He shrugged, then paused. _"Am I interrupting?"_

Dick smiled wolfishly at Bruce. _"Not at all. In fact, I was just asking the Justice League to sponsor my new team."_

"_You guys made it into the Planet, you know."_

"_I'm guessing you're still front page, though."_

"_Well_…" Superman shrugged modestly._ "Anyway, we'd be glad to sponsor you."_

"_Do you have a base?" _Batman ground out through gritted teeth.

"_We have an idea about that…" _

"You got the Justice League to sponsor us?!" Garfield squeaked excitedly. "When do we get to meet them?"

"Hopefully never. The point of having our own base and our town is that we can handle things on our own. We won't need babysitting."

"I'm not saying we will but you couldn't have got us a couple autographs or a meet and greet?"

Robin's glare effectively shut down that conversation.

"Never mind."

"So are we going inside or are we just gonna stare at it all day?" Victor prompted.

Leading the way, Robin led his teammates through the front door.

"So this is it?" Beast Boy asked in wonder.

"Yep. Everybody, welcome to Titans Tower."

"Why isn't it called Teen Titans Tower?" Garfield pointed out.

Gritting his teeth, Robin answered, "Because I wanted us to just be called the Titans. But the press stuck us with _Teen_ Titans. _Again_."

"Sorry I asked." Garfield murmured.

"But…we are teenagers, are we not?" Starfire questioned.

"Well, yeah, but…" In the face of her logic, Robin decided to drop the matter with a huff. "Fine. Teen Titans it is."

"Anyway, it looks like H.I.V.E. had underground passageways so we can use those to get to the city. Cyborg, your dad refurbished the lower levels to build you some sort of lab. He said you can use it for repairs and whatever other projects you'll be working on."

"Y'know, you can call me Victor."

"Right." Turning his gaze straight ahead, he continued, "There's a garage down here, too. I'm having my R-Cycle sent over as we speak and…"

He was cut off by a snicker. "Something funny, Beast Boy?"

"Nothing. It's just…you're not really calling it the R-Cycle, are you?"

Scowling, the boy replied, "You have a better name?"

"Uh…the Bird-Bike?" The Boy Wonder looked less than enthused. "Forget I said anything."

"I'll do my best." He muttered. "_As I was saying_…"

While their leader droned on, Cyborg nudged Garfield from behind and whispered, "Don't sweat it, B. I thought it was pretty funny too."

"Thanks, dude." The green-skinned youth answered gratefully. "I never thought Robin would have such a big stick up his—"

"Ahem."

The boy in question threw the duo an arched eyebrow. "Something you guys wanna share with the class?"

"Nope." They answered in unison.

Rolling his eyes, Robin stepped into an elevator and indicated the others join him. The car was able to accommodate them all as Robin continued, "I'll give you all the full tour in a minute but I wanted you all to see the view from up top."

Eventually, the sliding doors opened up on the roof level and Robin exited quickly almost as if he were excited by the prospect of heights.

Offering a rare smile, the Teen Wonder raced to the edge and beckoned the others to drink in the skyline alongside him.

The rolling clouds seemed close enough to touch as the California sunshine made the city look positively radiant. Flocks of seagulls could be heard below along with the tolling of buoys in the bay. All in all, the scene was picturesque and peaceful.

"From our tower, we can see it all." Robin said excitedly.

Starfire giggled in delight as she floated off the ground almost subconsciously.

Raven's eyes drank in every detail of easily the most beautiful sight she'd ever seen. Books couldn't do sights like this justice.

Garfield bent down in a crouch, excited to explore everything.

Victor was familiar with the city all his life but even he couldn't help but be taken aback when seeing it like this.

Robin put his hands on his hips, a broad smile on his lips as his cape billowed in the breeze.

"Ok, Titans…let's go."

The Beginning

**A/N: This is definitely my favorite chapter so far! I hope you guys are able to say the same. The Teen Titans have officially formed and our main story can finally begin! Just one more set-up chapter, I promise. Once again, thank you all for reading and following this story. Special thanks in particular to FireShifter, The Darkneon Flash, and slydog148 for reviewing. They really encourage me and motivate me to keep writing. God bless you all!**

**Next Up: A Day in the Life**


	9. Chapter 4: A Day In The Lives

Titans Tower, 7:40 AM

As the sun rose over the Jump City skyline, there was one figure who had been up for quite some time.

The sun's appearance signaled that he could finally initiate his mission for today. The Teen Titans had no idea what they were in for.

Silently creeping down to the gymnasium, the lone figure began prepping for the horrors he would inflict upon the Titans today.

Once he was finished, he went to the main level and scanned the walls until he found the button he was looking for.

With a devilish smirk, he smashed it with sadistic glee, excited for the chaos that would soon begin.

….

Garfield Logan was a young man of simple tastes. He loved comics, video games, nature, things like that. But there was one thing he valued above all: sleep.

Being a Doom Patrol member meant he only had fleeting moments with his mistress. But becoming a Teen Titan meant that was all about to change.

_RED ALERT! RED ALERT! RED ALERT!_

_Or not_, he thought as he jolted up blearily in his bed.

For a brief moment, he forgot where he was, the nigh-empty green room foreign to him before he realized. He'd only just moved in here yesterday, still getting adjusted to his new home that was apparently under attack.

Rolling clumsily out of bed, Garfield dashed over to his closet and fumbled to put on his costume before awkwardly stumbling into the hallway and nearly bowling over a clearly irritated Raven who looked even grumpier than usual.

"Sorry." He apologized, raising his voice to be heard over the noise.

She offered no response, merely grunting, before floating down the hall and leaving him to follow her.

They warily entered the Ops room to find a clearly pissed off Cyborg glaring down at their resident Boy Wonder as they engaged in a heated conversation.

"What's going on?!" Garfield called out, interrupting their argument.

"Shorty here decided we should have 'training' at 7:45 in the morning." Victor grumbled, ignoring Robin's scowl at the nickname.

"You could've given us a heads-up." Garfield frowned.

"If someone actually broke in here, they wouldn't give us one." Robin countered. "You can't deny we're a target. Five kids in a giant T in the middle of the ocean isn't exactly subtle."

"Neither is wearing red, green, and yellow tights." Raven interjected, causing Gar and Victor to guffaw while Robin glowered.

"I have everything set up downstairs." He said, choosing to ignore her comment. "We're just waiting for Starfire."

On cue, an inhuman roar sounded out through the Tower, nearly drowning out the alarm, before the Tamaranian princess burst into the room, starbolts blazing.

"WHERE IS THE INTRUDER?!" She shouted, head on a swivel.

Robin quickly turned off the alarm while Raven and Cyborg backed away slowly. "There isn't one, Starfire." He promised, hands raised in a placating gesture. "It was just a test."

"Oh." Blushing in embarrassment, she powered down and floated to the floor. "Forgive me, friends. I was out on a morning flight when I heard the alarm. I am pleased to see you all are all right."

"I think I need a new pair of pants." Garfield murmured, heart still racing.

"No problem, Star." Robin assured. Addressing them all, he announced, "Let's get started."

….

The Titans Tower gymnasium was a wide-open space with plenty of equipment for a young hero's needs. Robin was directing traffic as he set his friends to various tasks. Currently, he was having Garfield run laps around the gym in cheetah form, putting hurdles in his path to make it more exciting.

"C'mon, Beast Boy! One more lap!" Robin urged, clapping his hands in encouragement.

Morphing out of his cheetah form, Garfield came up panting, hands on his knees. "You said that three laps ago."

"Keep pushing your limits. You keep going until you can't."

"I said I can't nine laps ago." He replied, collapsing on his stomach.

"You can't quit now." Robin urged. "I still have an obstacle course and a maze for you to do."

"An obstacle course _and_ a maze?! It's not even 9:00!"

"The earlier we do this, the better. What else do you have to do?"

"Go back to bed." Gar muttered.

"You may as well get used to the routine. We work at this until we get it right."

"Work at what?" Victor called out from across the gym, unceremoniously dropping the weights Robin had been making him lift. "Pointless tasks you give us?"

"I'm trying to test you guys' abilities. As teammates, we have to know each other's strengths and weaknesses."

"So running through a maze is supposed to make me stronger?" Garfield asked skeptically.

"Just as sure as lifting multiple crates at once will make me a powerhouse." Raven put in sardonically.

Robin merely rolled his eyes in irritation. "Why can't you all just keep focused like Starfire?"

The girl in question was currently firing her starbolts at bullseye's with pinpoint accuracy. Her focus was laser-sharp and she didn't even appear to be listening to their conversation.

"At least Starfire has something mildly fun to do." Garfield huffed.

"Training isn't supposed to be fun." Robin stressed. "But if you're not having enough fun, why don't you try going a few rounds with me?"

"Um…you sure that's a good idea?"

"Why not?" Robin challenged. "If you don't need the training, then I'm sure you can take me on."

Beast Boy awkwardly turned away, wordlessly declining his challenge.

"Anybody else?" Robin asked, pointedly looking at Cyborg.

Cyborg opened his mouth to speak before someone else beat him to the punch.

"I will."

Everyone turned in surprise to find Starfire walking in their direction.

"This won't last long." Raven stated matter-of-factly.

"I will not use my powers and I will do my best to hold back my strength. This will be a test of skill, rather than strength." Starfire declared.

"You don't have to do this, Starfire." Robin promised.

"What better way is there to train?" Starfire pressed, getting into a fighting stance.

The others backed away, curious as to how this would go.

Seeing that he was cornered, Robin unclipped his belt and tossed it away, wanting to keep this fight fair.

Once she saw he was ready, Starfire lunged. She'd learned from their previous encounter that he preferred to avoid and evade. The sooner she pinned him down, the better.

To her surprise, Robin dove down and slid between her legs before shoving her from behind.

"Get him, Star!" Garfield encouraged.

In response to his encouragement, Starfire lashed out with an overhead kick that Robin ducked easily due to the height difference. Grabbing her leg, he swung her behind him where she came up in a roll.

Charging forward, she finally corralled him in a bear-hug. He wriggled helplessly, mildly embarrassed at how easily she had captured him along with the proximity of their bodies.

"Do you yield, Robin?" The princess asked, her hold slackening a little.

"No." He answered defiantly before lifting his legs to her stomach and pushing off.

She stumbled back as her hold was broken while Robin landed a perfect ten off his backflip.

Finally going on the attack himself, Robin began delivering body shots to Koriand'r torso before finishing his assault with an uppercut.

Her head turned sharply and he feared he had gone too far. "Oh man, I'm sorry."

His answer was a backhand so swift he didn't even see the motion. He crumpled, rubbing his cheek as Cyborg whistled, "Daaaaamn."

"Don't be." Starfire replied with a cheeky grin.

Enraged and annoyed, Robin rose up to his feet, roaring as he streaked forward with a punch ready.

Prepared for it, Starfire grabbed his hand, stopping his fist cold.

Taking advantage of his shock, she punched his arm inward before turning him around to apply a reverse chokehold, rendering him immobile.

He growled and fought like a wildcat but try as he might, he couldn't shake free.

Eventually, he stopped and lowered his head in shame, indicating his surrender.

Gently releasing him, Starfire respectfully added, "Well-fought, Robin."

"You, too." He begrudgingly acknowledged.

Their eyes locked for a moment as they caught their breath. It appeared she could sense his shame and self-loathing and was silently trying to console him but he wouldn't accept it.

She reached out to touch his shoulder when a gurgle resounded throughout the gym.

All eyes turned to the resident changeling. "Um…anybody else hungry?"

"Thought you'd never ask." Cyborg chimed in. "Breakfast is on me, ya'll."

…

Soon enough, the delicious smells of breakfast were wafting throughout Titans Tower. Raven was reading a book at the table, her eyebrow twitching whenever Garfield would laugh obnoxiously loud at something on the TV, while Cyborg was trying to explain to an enthralled Starfire the origin of bacon and eggs.

Meanwhile, Robin sulked in the corner, looking but not really seeing the document on his tablet. He couldn't muster up the courage to look anyone in the eye, least of all Starfire. He'd been disappointed with the training session in general but there was no one's performance he was more dissatisfied with than his own. If they were this disorganized in practice, how were they supposed to measure up out in the field?

"Breakfast is served, ya'll!" Cyborg proclaimed proudly.

Robin simply looked up, watching Raven float over as Beast Boy scrambled over as if the food was going to run away.

Curiously, the changeling slowed up as he eyed the bacon and eggs. He timidly began to pick at a biscuit before taking a handful and shoveling them down his gullet, spilling crumbs everywhere.

Robin turned his attention back to his document, mirroring Raven's look of disgust.

"So I figured I would give you guys a tour around town today." Victor announced, as he made himself a plate. "If we're gonna protect this place, I think we should at least know where we're going."

"I'll pass." Robin interjected, not even looking up from his tablet. "Already memorized the layout."

"Aside from Mr. Lonely, is everybody else in?" Victor addressed the others.

"I'm down." Garfield said excitedly.

"I am most intrigued by what your world has to offer. I would be glad to accompany you." Starfire put in.

"Raven?" Victor asked.

"Sure, why not?" She shrugged passively.

"Great." Victor smiled. "It's settled. Let's be ready to go in ten."

…..

A quick trip across the bay landed the Titans into downtown Jump City. The town had been made aware of the Teen Titans' presence but even so they got a lot of odd looks and double takes. They definitely had to be the weirdest group this place had ever seen.

Despite it all, Victor valiantly pressed on and pretended not to notice as he stopped in front of a clothing shop.

"I figure you guys probably wanna get some casual clothes instead of wearing the same uniforms every day." He said, holding the door open for the others to go inside.

Raven gave the place a once-over, not finding anything that appealed to her. She'd worn practically the same attire her whole life and wasn't looking for a change.

Garfield trudged along idly before his attention was grabbed by a sweet-looking Batman shirt.

"Awesome!" He cried in glee. "They have a 2 for 1 special with Superman!"

Delighted, the jade-skinned boy got lost in a sea of pop culture while, on the other side of the store, Victor was attempting to explain to Starfire the importance of socks.

"Victor, I do not understand. I thought I already had the footwear."

"Yeah, but socks kinda help cover up the smell of feet." He patiently explained.

Hurt, the girl inquired, "You are saying my feet smell bad?"

"No, no, no. Not that I can smell your feet. Which is a good thing." He quickly assured her. "But socks also help prevent bacteria and stuff from forming."

"Is this common on your planet?" She asked worriedly.

"No, because we wear socks."

"I see. Tamaranian foot hygiene is impeccable. Our footwear keeps our feet cool and not smelly. But I shall follow your customs and purchase the socks."

"Thank you."

"You are quite welcome. Shall I buy ones with the puppies or the kitties?"

"Whatever floats your boat, Star."

"Please, where is my boat that you speak of?"

"It's just an expression."

"I cannot understand why humans are not more direct about their meaning."

"Me neither, girl. Me neither."

Behind them, two blondes giggled at the Tamaranian's cluelessness, whispering to each other as they fruitlessly tried to hide their snickers.

Gritting her teeth, the princess began to move in their direction before Victor laid a calm hand on her shoulder. "They ain't worth it, Star. Trust me."

Her shoulders slumped in resignation as she studied the floor in shame.

"Man, do I love these Titan cards!" Garfield exclaimed as he came over to them, referring to the credit cards the city had granted them. "What's going on over here?"

"Nothin'." Victor told him, with a wave of his hand. "What'd you end up getting?"

Setting down his bags, he opened them to reveal his haul. "Let's see…I got two Batman shirts, Superman, Flash, GL and…these beauties."

Victor curled his lip at the twin green monstrosities inside the box. "Those are the most hideous looking green kicks I've ever seen, man."

"You're just jealous 'cause you ain't cop 'em first, dude."

"Uh-huh." Vic rolled his eyes.

"How soon can we get out of here?" Raven asked petulantly as she floated over.

"You don't want anything?" Victor asked in surprise.

"I'll stick with what I have."

Shrugging, Victor simply said, "Have it your way. There's no sense in me getting anything so it's down to you, Star. See anything you like?"

…..

It had taken some coaxing but eventually Starfire _had_ found clothes she deemed suitable. They had discovered she hated wearing things that didn't expose her arms or legs, citing the reason as they 'tampered with sunlight absorption.' Thus, sweaters, jeans, and closed-toe shoes were a no-no for her. She'd gravitated towards shorts and bikinis and was convinced to at least buy some crop tops and t-shirts along with socks adorned with both puppies _and_ kitties.

As they exited, arms full of what were mostly Starfire's bags, Garfield couldn't help but ask, "Um, Cy? How are we gonna carry all this stuff back to the Tower?"

"We're not." Victor smiled, nodding towards a car parked on the street.

"Thank God." Silas Stone said from the driver's seat. "The meter almost ran out."

"Yeah, yeah." Victor grinned back. Turning back to the others, he explained, "I called Dad to chauffeur us around town today."

Once they had packed their haul into the trunk, Silas pulled off with Victor in the front seat and Starfire sitting as a buffer between Raven and Beast Boy in the backseat.

"So, Vic…" Garfield spoke up to break the silence. "Do you drive?"

Unseen to his friends, Victor blanched briefly before answering, "Maybe if the old man would let me drive his car."

He quickly sent his father a silent look of pleading and the doctor took the hint. "What can I say? Cecile here is my baby."

Victor breathed a sigh of relief before changing the topic. "So, Raven, how do you feel about hitting the bookstore next?"

"I'm listening."

…..

Soon enough, the Titans made it to the bookstore with Silas in tow.

Almost against her will, Raven eagerly floated through the aisles, scrutinizing everything in sight until the horror section finally grabbed her attention. She grabbed a handful of novels and plopped down into a beanbag chair, looking as if she would stay for hours as she rooted through the pages reverently.

Garfield glanced around, bored, before the comics section drew him in. Victor and Silas perused for mechanics manuals as Starfire went to picture books and almanacs.

"So how are they adjusting?" Silas asked quietly.

"As well as they can, I guess." Victor shrugged. "Might be a little easier if Robin wasn't being such a slave driver."

"Well, he is a pretty young kid." Silas said thoughtfully. "From my interactions with the boy, it's obvious he's desperate to prove himself. He's got a lot on his shoulders. I'm not saying that excuses everything he does but try to see things from his perspective."

"Yeah, I guess I never thought of it like that." Victor conceded begrudgingly.

Eyeing the book Victor had been browsing, his father lifted an eyebrow. "When did you become interested in space travel?"

"Since I became roommates with an alien."

"Couldn't you just ask the Justice League?"

"Robin won't let us talk to them. Trust me, Gar's asked him enough times. Besides…I kinda wanna figure out the inner workings of this myself." Grabbing some more books off the shelf, he continued, "I've been thinking about making a submarine too. We live on the water so why not? Or maybe a jet or something?"

"You want to build all that but no car?"

Victor's expression fell. "I'm not ready, Dad. You know that."

"Yeah." Silas said, laying a comforting hand on his boy's shoulder. "I know. But when you are, I'll lend you Cecile anytime you need her."

"Like I wanna drive that old piece of junk?"

"Hey, that piece of junk has gotten us from Point A to Point B since you were in diapers. Don't be too hard on her." Silas smirked.

Victor laughed and shook his head. "Mom was always pushing you to trade up."

At the mention of his wife, Silas sobered up. "Probably one of the many things I should have listened to her about."

The two men fell into an awkward silence before Victor spotted Raven floating towards the checkout counter with a mountain of books wrapped in dark energy trailing behind her.

Jogging over, Victor tentatively spoke up once she had completed her purchase. "Uh, Raven? I don't think we can fit all of that into the car."

"Not a problem." Closing her eyes and taking a breath, she murmured, "Azarath Metrion Zinthos."

A portal of black energy opened, scaring the people in the store as the bookstack was encased in dark energy and deposited inside.

"Where did they all go?" Garfield asked, once it closed.

"Straight to my room." Raven said.

"Neat." Garfield's face brightened as if he had had a brilliant idea. "Think you could do that for my stuff?"

"No." She returned flatly.

Garfield frowned. "You're no fun. Speaking of fun, please tell me we're hitting a game store next?"

…..

_Finally_, Robin thought, as he heard the proximity alert that told him that the others had finally made it back.

Standing up and cracking his back, Robin exited his office to greet them in the main room.

He wasn't very happy with what he saw.

"What is that?" He asked angrily, curling his lip at the icon adorned across Beast Boy's chest.

Tugging at the front a little, Garfield shook it for emphasis. "Batman's symbol. Duh."

"I know what it is." Robin snapped. "Why do you have it?"

"Because Batman's awesome? What's the problem, dude?"

"There isn't one, B." Cyborg affirmed with a clap on his shoulder. Turning his gaze to Robin, he said, "Bird Brain here is just sensitive."

Robin merely huffed as the others set down their bags. Something in Garfield's caught his attention and he came closer, making Gar tense up and Victor give him a look of warning.

Squinting, he finally asked, "Is that Mega Monkeys 3?"

"Yeah!" Garfield relaxed. "Wanna play?"

"Well…I have been at work all morning. I guess a couple rounds wouldn't kill me."

"Sweet!"

The boys went to the TV to set it up while Raven attempted to retreat to her room before Starfire intercepted her.

"Friend Raven! Would you care to watch as I try on the apparel I purchased today?"

"Um…" Raven winced apologetically. "Not really. If you'll excuse me, I have a couple dozen novels calling my name."

With that, she swiftly floated through the double doors to her quarters leaving her Tamaranean teammate to sigh dejectedly.

Drifting over to the couch where the boys were, she asked, "What are you doing?"

"Trying to get this friggin' V-Cube set up." Victor grumbled as he fiddled with the TV.

"You're part robot, Cy. Maybe you should ask it nicely."

"Not funny, B." Victor glared.

"Please." Garfield waved a hand. "I'm hilarious."

Turning expectantly to the orange girl behind him, he pressed, "Starfire thinks I'm funny. Right, Star?"

Not wanting to bruise his ego, she politely chimed in, "Oh, yes. Um, you are most hilarious."

Gar appeared satisfied by the response. "I rest my case."

"Great." Robin muttered. "As if his head wasn't swollen enough."

Blinking curiously, Starfire leaned down to examine for herself. "Garfield, you are experiencing the swelling? Is it uncomfortable?"

The boy stared at her uncomprehendingly before bursting into laughter. "Ha ha! Good one, Star! For a minute there, I thought you were serious."

The girl self-consciously rubbed her arm before awkwardly joining her friend's giggling fit. "Of course not."

"Got it!" Victor crowed triumphantly. "Hope you two are ready to get your butts kicked."

"I'll take that bet." Robin smirked, picking up a controller.

"Dudes, before you know it, I'm gonna be running circles around both of you."

Sensing that her presence was unwelcome in the midst of all the machismo, Koriand'r backed away and retreated to her room, excited to wear her new socks.

2:30 PM

"My compliments to the chef." Victor grinned as he took a huge bite of his burger.

After a hearty few rounds of Mega Monkeys, Victor had decided to grill some burgers and once he was finished, splayed them out on the new picnic table he'd purchased today.

He'd made enough for everyone but so far no takers. Raven must've been lost in her own personal library. When he'd checked on Gar, he was asleep with comic panels splayed over his face. Robin was probably still sulking after Victor had embarrassed him in a best of seven tournament. His only remaining housemate rounded the corner wearing a purple crop top with a gold star on the top. The outfit was completed by a pair of jean shorts and sandals along with…

"Victor! I am wearing the socks!"

"I see." Victor laughed. "You went big, girl. Puppies _and_ kitties."

"Whatever you have prepared smells most lovely. May I try it?" She asked, eyeing the burgers hungrily.

"Of course. I made enough for everybody."

Given the green light, she reached out as quick as a bolt of lightning and snatched one from the platter, throwing it down her gullet before he could blink.

She chewed thoughtfully before her expression lit up. "Glorious!" She enthused. "What is this meat?"

"It's called a hamburger. It tastes even better if you add a bun and some condiments."

She gasped excitedly as he handed her a bun and demonstrated how to put the burger inside. "Like the mustard?!"

He chuckled. "Yeah. Like the mustard." He slid her a bottle across the table. "Go for it, kiddo."

He tried to hide his disgust as she slathered an unhealthy amount on her burger and turned his gaze to the sea.

It was so peaceful out here. Days like this made him forget he was an android freak. Out here, he was just as normal or weird as anybody else, depending on how you looked at it. And away from the city, he could stroll and move around as he pleased. It was the most freedom he'd had in months. It felt so good to be a part of the world again.

Happily munching away on her hamburger, Koriand'r shared his sense of ease. Gazing up at their Tower gleaming in the sunlight, she caught a glance at Robin gazing down at her intently from the bay window, mouth agape.

Fearing she appeared disheveled, she awkwardly waved.

Flinching as if he'd been caught doing something wrong, Robin retreated from view as if he'd never been there.

The girl's shoulders slumped as she feared she had done something to offend him. Fitting in was proving to be quite the challenge.

"Everything all right?"

Starfire jumped at Victor's sudden intrusion into her thoughts. "Yes. Perfectly."

"Well, help yourself, Star. I've got some work to do down in the lab."

"Would you like the company?"

Sensing that she needed it more than him, Victor humbly acquiesced. "Not a bad idea. C'mon."

The redhead excitedly leaped up to follow her friend, but not before shoveling down one last burger.

…..

"And…finished."

Lifting the device up from the worktable for inspection, Starfire turned it in her hands curiously. "And you say these devices will be able to help us communicate with each other?"

"Yep. I've got mine built into my wrist. Try testing it out."

Pressing the button to activate it, she was greeted by Cyborg's visage grinning back at her from the screen.

"Guess it works." He said proudly. Looking up to address her directly, he continued, "I don't have a catchy name for 'em yet, but I figure we'll need these if we ever get separated."

"These are most impressive." Starfire complimented. Eyeing some sketches on the far wall, she asked, "What are those designs for?"

"I was mulling over building some kinda submarine since we're on the water and all that. I'm not super committed to the idea but it would be helpful."

Lifting up a set of blueprints hidden behind the computer, she lifted it so her friend could see. "And these? They appear similar in concept to the automobiles I see in the city."

Victor's eyes widened for a moment before he quickly came over, all but snatching it from her hands and rolling it up. "It's nothing."

Putting the prints back where they came from, he said, "Look, I have some maintenance I wanna run before dinner. It's really boring stuff. I'm sure you have better things to do."

"I assure you, it is no trouble."

"I just…is it okay if I'm alone for a little while?"

Hiding her hurt well, she simply said, "Of course." She began to exit before stopping in the doorway. "Thank you for the hamburgers. They were quite delicious."

"Anytime." He smiled softly. "Now get out of here." He gently urged. "Judging by the way he was mooning at you earlier, I'm sure Robin wouldn't mind your company." He said playfully.

She blushed briefly before casting her gaze to the floor. "He did not give me that impression earlier."

"Rob's a guy. We have trouble expressing our emotions. Some more than others. Besides, if anyone can drag Bird Brain out of his room, I'm betting it's you."

She accepted his words with a resolute nod. "I shall try."

"Atta girl. See you at dinner."

Waving her farewell, Koriand'r floated up the staircase, considering Cyborg's words.

Despite his attempts to rebuff her, Koriand'r was determined to help Robin, no matter what it took.

….

Robin's work was interrupted by a timid knock on his door and he sighed, anticipating who was on the other side of the door. If she was still wearing the crop top and shorts he'd seen her in earlier, maybe this conversation wouldn't be so bad.

"Starfire, I really don't…" He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw who was there. "Raven?"

"Your emotions were going haywire." She explained flatly. "I figured someone should check on you before you had a heart attack or something. What's on your mind?"

"I'm fine." He quickly assured. Her nonplussed expression showed she didn't believe him. "Ok, I'll tell you. But this has to stay between us. I don't want the others to know yet."

She nodded, then cleared her throat with a nod.

"Oh, right. Uh, come in." He gestured, letting her go past him before shutting the door.

"So this sensing emotions stuff? How deep does that go?" Robin asked as she came to a stop.

"Still figuring it out." She answered nonchalantly. "Now aren't you supposed to be answering my question?"

He took a breath before speaking. "There's this criminal, an assassin named Deathstroke. His reputation is legendary. Some people call him the Terminator. I've heard rumors about him being based here in Jump the past few months. No idea why. But that's the reason I'm here. At least, it was before I met you guys. I've been trying to track him down in my spare time. Haven't had a lot of that lately." He paused, and she simply stared, waiting for him to continue. "Anyway, I've been trying to get information about his whereabouts. I haven't had much luck and was getting a little frustrated. I'm guessing that's what you were sensing."

"Why not tell the others?" Raven asked after a moment.

"We have enough to worry about without looking for the World's Greatest Assassin. Plus, this is a personal mission. I don't want to drag everyone else into it."

"I see. Trust me, you don't have to worry. I can keep a secret."

_I'm sure. _

Out loud, he said, "I appreciate it." Awkwardly rubbing his neck, he asked, "So how was today's trip?"

"Other than the visit to the bookstore? Rather tedious." After a drawn-out pause, she stood up. "I'm guessing you feel like talking even less than I do. I'll see myself out."

As the door closed behind her, Robin couldn't help but feel there was still a lot more to learn about Raven. And he was determined to find out what.

5:15 PM

Robin yawned as he exited the bathroom. The afternoon had dragged, and he'd nearly fallen asleep at his desk again before nature had called.

He was considering checking if Cyborg had left any burgers from earlier when his nose caught a revolting smell.

Following the scent, he came across a crouching Beast Boy holding a ball of various trash in his hand, appearing to be waiting for someone.

"What are you doing?"

Squeaking, Garfield nearly dropped his concoction before righting himself. "Waiting for Cyborg."

"What is that thing?" He asked, pinching his nose.

Garfield turned fully, revealing a pair of tweezers on his nose. "I call it the 'Stankball'." He revealed proudly.

"I can't imagine why." Robin muttered sarcastically. "And you're doing this why?"

"Because it's an amazing prank? Don't tell me you don't wanna get back at Cy after he whipped your butt earlier."

Frowning at the reminder, Robin sulked before adopting a devilish smirk. "So what's the plan?"

…

"Yo, Cy! You busy?" Garfield frantically asked, scampering down the hallway.

"What is it, B?" Victor asked suspiciously.

"Gar backed up the toilet." Robin grumbled, exiting the bathroom.

"What can I say, dude? Chili cheese chips run right through me." Gar said with an apologetic smile.

"Could you help us find the plunger?"

"And here I thought you were the detective." Victor said with an eyeroll.

Noting the wads of toilet paper stuffed in the commode, he entered the bathroom and made for the cabinet. "It should be where it always is…"

Opening the bottom drawer, Victor was met with a full-on nasal assault.

"Ugh. Damn. What in the world?"

"It's called a stankball." Robin laughed from behind him, Garfield joining in.

"Very funny." Victor scowled. Smirking devilishly, he said, "Almost as funny as when I give you a swirlie."

Squeaking in terror, Garfield morphed to a gerbil and scurried away as Victor lunged for him.

Grabbing the plunger, Victor began unclogging the toilet, tossing the stankball in for good measure before flushing. "Y'know, I gotta admit. Not bad for a prank." Exiting the room with Robin behind him, he commented, "I'm glad you're not a total stick in the mud. For a minute, I thought you were a 50-year-old in a teenage body."

"I'm not that bad, am I?" Robin laughed.

Cyborg's lack of response spoke volumes.

"Ok, maybe a little." The boy conceded, awkwardly rubbing his neck. "I'm sorry about blowing up at you earlier."

"It happens. I haven't exactly been the nicest guy myself the past few months."

"Even so, you were still trying to save the city. If it weren't for you and your father, we wouldn't have known nearly as much about the H.I.V.E. as we do. Not to mention the fact that we wouldn't even have the Tower if not for you two."

"I figure I might as well earn my keep around here. If I'm a not a very good superhero, I can at least be the resident mechanic."

"You're not too bad a chef either." Robin smiled. "Although I can't defend your taste as a sports fan. I spotted the Jump City Champions gear at your place. You know they don't have a shot against the Gotham Rogues this season."

"Oh, huh?" Victor crossed his arms. "Care to place money on that?"

Robin cockily smirked. "Why not? The Rogues wipe the floor with the Champions every year. 50 bucks says I'm right."

"50 bucks says you're wrong. Shake on it?"

"Deal." Robin agreed, shaking the proffered hand.

"Now when it comes to the JC Rebels vs the Gotham Knights? I'm willing to bet a hundred bucks on that."

Robin's expression sank at the change of topic to baseball. "This year's gonna be different!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Next you'll tell me BB's actually funny…"

8:00 PM

Raven's thoughts were disrupted by a gentle knock on her door. She'd already talked with Robin and Starfire today and she doubted Beast Boy had come up for air from his game system.

That left only…

"Cyborg." She greeted, only partially opening her door. "Is something wrong?"

"There is." He said, deadly serious.

Her insides clenched, dreading what he would say next.

"What is it?"

"You're in here all by yourself." He finished, his expression and tone becoming gentler and more playful. "C'mon out. It's movie night."

"Movie night?"

"Yeah. I figured we should all get together and do something that isn't training or fighting crime so…movie night!" He exclaimed with a flourish.

"What's a movie?"

He blinked, taken aback before responding, "Come with me and you'll find out."

Reluctantly, she left her book alone and followed him to the common room where the others awaited.

Robin and Beast Boy appeared to be in a heated debate.

"Beast Boy, there is no way I am watching Deplorable You! The little henchmen creep me out." Robin admitted sheepishly.

"Well, nobody's in the mood to watch Stolen 3! As much as I love Callum Eason, the shtick gets kinda old." Suddenly whipping his head towards the empath, Garfield asked, "What kind of movies do you like, Raven?"

Taken aback, she thought for a moment before answering honestly, "I don't know."

"C'mon, you must have a go-to flick, right?" Garfield implored.

"She's never seen any." Victor chimed in helpfully.

Garfield's jaw dropped as if this were a crime against humanity.

"I, too, am confused on the concept of the movies." Starfire said as she floated into the room.

Locking gazes, the boys seemed to come to a decision.

"Galactic Warfare?" Garfield prompted.

"Galactic Warfare." Robin and Cyborg agreed.

"Who is attacking?" Starfire asked, immediately on guard.

"Nobody." Robin assured her. "It's a film series."

"What does it entail?"

"An epic struggle between good and evil for the fate of the universe." Garfield excitedly answered.

"I'll get the popcorn." Victor announced, heading for the kitchen while Robin queued it up on the TV as Garfield explained the concept of movies and promising the girls would love it.

Despite being determined not to let it show on her face, Raven found her first experience with popcorn and soda to be delightful. Cyborg seemed to catch on as he retrieved more for her without being asked, sending a secret smile her way.

She didn't really understand the film and was still getting used to movies in general, but the intimate atmosphere created by the dimmed lights and the city skyline in the background was enjoyable.

Maybe this whole having friends thing wasn't so overrated after all.

…..

"Looks like movie night was a good idea." Robin whispered to Victor who was busy sweeping up popcorn kernels.

Once the film had ended, Raven had swiftly retreated to her room, bidding a quick goodnight to all but Beast Boy who was snoring like a vacuum cleaner.

Starfire had offered to carry Beast Boy back to his room leaving the two young men to clean up the mess.

"I just thought it would be a good way for us to hang out." Victor responded. "_All_ of us." He said with a pointed look. "We missed you earlier."

"I was busy." Robin shrugged as he threw soda cans into a trash bag.

"As always."

"Someone's gotta keep this operation afloat." Robin said, only half-joking, as he grinned at Victor's eyeroll in response.

"I can finish up here." The older boy promised. "Why don't you go get some sleep? Y'know, if you do that."

"Ha-Ha. I'll have you know I get at least 3 hours of sleep a night, thank you very much."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Do I ever?"

"Will you just get outta here?"

Smirking, Robin waved, as he headed for the entrance. "'Night."

As he slowly began the trek to his quarters, Robin caught a flash of red hair heading up the stairwell to the roof.

Curiously following, Robin hung back as Starfire reached the roof and floated to the edge, dangling her legs over the side.

Koriand'r sighed as she placed her chin in her hands, contemplating the cityscape before lifting her gaze heavenward.

She was grateful to her new friends for taking her in and accepting her into the group but that didn't mean she didn't miss her true home.

She hoped Tamaran wouldn't suffer further retribution for her escape. Not only did she lack a spacecraft to return, but even if she did, the treaty would be broken and everyone she loved would be destroyed.

She let out a frustrated sigh, blinking back the tears that threatened to spill out.

"You wanna talk about it?"

The girl jerked in surprise before quickly putting on a brave face as her companion sat beside her. "Robin! I do not know what you mean."

His unfazed stare was his only reply.

"Very well." She exhaled in resignation. "I am feeling…'homesick' for Tamaran. Please do not misunderstand me. I am thankful for the friends I have made here." Starfire promised with a warm smile that he returned. "But I yearn to go back to my loved ones. I simply wish I had a way of knowing they were safe."

"You did everything you could to ensure they would be." He assured her gently, hesitantly squeezing her hand quickly before pulling his own back. There was an awkward pause before the boy continued, "You mentioned you had a sister. What's she like?"

The Princess paused a moment, trying to decide on the right words to describe Komand'r. "Determined. Strong-willed. She has a wicked sense of humor. She is shrewd, cunning, and rather direct when she wants to be."

"Sounds like somebody I know." Robin muttered.

"But she always means well. She wants what is best for Tamaran. She would make a fantastic Queen. It has been her dream for as long as I can remember."

"With all of those qualities and your powers, I'm sure she'll keep Tamaran safe. If she's anything like you, your people are in good hands."

She blushed. "Thank you."

Robin shyly turned away as his face began to heat up.

Sensing the uncomfortable territory, she cleared her throat and continued, "I also have a younger brother, Ryand'r. In English, it would translate to Wildfire." She couldn't fight the fond smile that crept on her face as she spoke of him. "He is a bright and courageous young man. All his life, he has wanted to join the military. He has trained as a warrior since he could walk. He is truly born to it."

"It sounds like he would make a good Titan." Robin smiled. "Is there anybody else there that you miss? What about your parents?"

Her expression hardened minutely. "My parents are wise and fair rulers." She spoke carefully, as if biting back curses. The fire behind her eyes dimmed a little as she continued, "My father is a jovial and happy man. I believe I have inherited his sunny disposition. Komand'r is more like our mother. She shares her drive and passion. Ryand'r is the best of both of them. But I believe the person I miss most of all is Galfore."

"Oh." Robin paused before venturing, "Is he your…boyfriend or something?"

Her booming laughter in response echoed across the bay. "Assuredly not. He is my _k'norfka_. The best description in your language would be a caretaker. He has cared for my family since before I was born. He is our most loyal attendant, whether it be in matters domestic or diplomatic."

"So he's your butler?" Robin asked with a secret smile to himself.

"He is whatever the Royal Family requires him to be. To me, he is my trainer and more importantly, counsel." She sighed forlornly. "I would give anything to hear his insight now."

A heavy silence pervaded before Robin blurted. "Have you ever heard of the Big Dipper?"

"The what?" Koriand'r asked, blinking out of her mental fog.

"It's a constellation in the night sky." He explained. Pointing skyward, he began explaining the constellations to her and their origin.

Soon enough, the girl had begun to tune him out, her focus shifting away from the beauty of the heavens above to the ones on Earth as she scooted closer, feeling as if the cold night had just gotten a lot warmer.

The End

**A/N: Sorry about the wait between chapters. Thanks for being so patient. My life has gotten pretty busy lately. Thanks to slydog148, Rollerparty, FireShifter, and BlueCharizardFire for reviewing. Thank you to FoudeNoire, the 5****th**** Doctor, and ctran03931 for following this story.**

**Ok, everybody, this is the last of the set-up chapters. Now we start diving into the main story. FYI: I snatched the title of this chapter from issue #8 of the New Teen Titans.**

**Next up: The Titans' first supervillain!**


	10. Chapter 5: Challenge Accepted!

**Murakami Industries, 3:30 PM**

Deep within the recesses of the bustling tech conglomerate known as Murakami Industries was the office/laboratory of one Michael Konietzko, better known as Mikey Neitz. Although those around the office had a different name for him…

"And what do we have here, Control Freak?"

Mikey jumped at the sound of the stern voice of his employer coming from behind him.

Desperately trying to clear the snacks and clutter off his workbench, the slightly obese redhead scrambled to his feet to attempt to look presentable for his boss. "Mr. Murakami, W-what can I do for you, sir?" He stammered.

The stern Japanese man crossed his arms as he arched his eyebrow. "You can give me results on the project you promised to have functional by end of day today. And you can also turn off that crap."

Mikey sheepishly rubbed his neck as he turned to what his employer was referring to. His phone was currently live streaming a video from Beast Boy of the Teen Titans.

"'_Sup, dudes and dudettes out there! Beast Boy here." _The boy panned the camera away from his face to show a group of thugs being arrested by the JCPD. "_So me and my team just busted up a bank robbery. Every hostage is safe, btw." _Panning the camera again, he shifted to a group of civilians. _"Say hi, hostages!"_ The flock of grateful people chuckled and waved back as the boy came back into the shot._ "And that was just after stopping a kidnapping in its tracks and halting an out-of-control car." _The Titan adjusted the camera until his uncomfortable-looking teammates were in the background with him. "_I think I speak for all of us when I say to whatever jerkwad wants to start trouble in our city: Don't try it. The Teen Titans are unstoppable. But if you don't believe me, I'm throwing down the gauntlet. You vs us. Good luck."_

On that note, the feed cut off, the last image being a smug shapeshifter and his bewildered teammates.

_Challenge Accepted_, Mikey thought.

"As admittedly entertaining as that was, it's still not a valid excuse for you slacking off on my time, Konietzko." Mr. Murakami barked. "Do you have a demonstration or not?"

A wicked idea came to Mikey as he turned back to the screen and grinned. "Soon, boss. Soon. And I know just the guinea pigs to help me."

Titans Tower, OPS Room, 4:45 PM

"What were you thinking?!" Robin shouted, clearly agitated as he paced back and forth. We're already obvious enough! Did you really need to paint a bigger target on our backs?"

"So maybe I went a little too far?" Garfield shrugged from his place on the couch. "But do you really think there's anybody out there who can take us? We've been killing it lately, Robin. If anything, I did us a favor. If the HIVE decides to come after us, then we've finally drawn them out of hiding, right?"

"And do you honestly think we're prepared for that?"

"Well, you're the leader. So if we're not, isn't that kinda your fault?"

Cyborg decided to cut in before Robin strangled their green friend. "Okay, look. Let's all acknowledge that B made a bonehead mistake and move on, alright?"

"Thanks, Cy." Garfield sighed gratefully. "I guess…"

"Fine." Robin grunted. "All I'm saying is that this stuff will eventually come back to bite us. We don't do this for fame and glory. So next time, try not to make such a big show about it."

"Whatever." The changeling muttered under his breath as his leader stalked away.

Flopping on the couch while the others dispersed, he murmured, "Who'd be dumb enough to challenge us anyway?"

….

"Mikey! Dinner's ready!"

"In a minute, Ma!"

Contrary to the cliché, Mikey Neitz's mother needed him a lot more than he needed her. Ever since his old man had stepped out years ago, his mother had clung to him as a lifeline.

Thankfully for the both of them, his years of pop culture absorption had paid off. His experience as a nerd had inspired him to pursue science and had landed him his cushy job at Murakami Industries.

Now he had a new source of inspiration. He'd been captivated by the rise of real-life superheroes from the second he'd seen Superman splashed across the front page of the Daily Planet. Batman's appearance had only ratcheted up the excitement. Not to mention Wonder Woman was quite the looker.

But the Teen Titans were something else altogether. For one, they were local. They were teenagers. Except for Robin, none of them were sidekicks. The only real knock against them was that they were a remake. And those were never as good as the original. Still, though, they had thrown out a challenge.

And the "Control Freak" could never resist a good challenge.

Deciding to test it out, Mikey let out his best evil laugh. At first, it felt a little awkward but the longer he let it go, the more natural it felt. Soon, he was howling with wild and reckless abandon.

"MIKEY! Pipe down and get your food before it gets cold!"

Mikey's expression darkened as he growled at the interruption of his first evil laugh. "Coming, Ma."

**The next day, Pier across from Titans Tower**

Eyeing the T-shaped structure across the water, the newly-christened Control Freak decided to do one last check, narrating to himself all the while.

"And so the Control Freak set out on his daring mission. Badass jacket? Check. Pouches? Check. World-changing device? Check."

Mikey felt rather proud of himself, decked out in his new outfit comprised of a dark trenchcoat, fingerless gloves, and the coup de grace, a sash of unnecessary pouches.

Naturally, his little device was pocketed by his side. He'd shaped it like a remote, figuring he should have a gimmick.

"Now I just need a way in." As he eyed the pier, his attention was grabbed by a vehicle pulling over. A man in a hat stepped out and pulled out a delicious-smelling bag.

_A pizza guy._

As the man walked in the direction of the barge the city provided to reach Titans Tower, the idea came to him.

"Aha!"

**Inside Titans Tower**

"_I ask you, humble viewers, how can we leave our city in the hands of these reckless delinquents? Chief among them, the one known as Beast Boy…"_

"_But, Bethany, surely you can acknowledge the good the Teen Titans have done?"_

"_As tourist attractions? Sure, Carter. But as 'superheroes'? I'd entrust our safety to the JCPD over a bunch of juveniles any day."_

"_Well, that's all the time we have for today. What do you think, Jump City? Are the Teen Titans necessary? Or are they interfering with the work of the real heroes? You decide. This is Bethany Snow, signing off."_

"Wow." Garfield muttered as he changed the channel. "Nice to know the people are grateful."

"The opinion of two morons doesn't mean the entire city feels that way." Raven interjected as she floated past the couch.

"Yeah, well, those two morons are the most influential broadcasters in the city." Victor chimed in as he finished setting the table. "They've been on the air for as long as I can remember."

"I do not understand why the people cannot see that we are here to protect them." Starfire put in. "We have done nothing but good. I thought your Justice League's approval was supposed to protect us from this scrutiny."

"Unfortunately, people aren't too trusting these days, Star." Robin sighed as he crossed his arms.

The five teens stewed in silence for a moment before the proximity alert went off.

"Great! It's the pizza guy!" Garfield cried as he leapt off the couch to allow their visitor access.

"Woo! Great timing! I'm starving!" Victor rubbed his hands together eagerly.

As the elevator opened, the redheaded chubby guy looked around awestruck. Once his gaze settled on the five teens in the living room, his eyes took on a manic glow. "Wow. The Teen Titans…"

In the wake of the strange pause that followed, Garfield stepped forward. "Uh, yeah that's us. And you're the pizza guy…" He said with the same dramatic flair.

Laughing in response, the pizza guy removed his hat and set his bag on the floor. "Man, you're as hilarious in-person at you are on PicChat."

Garfield instantly brightened. "Thanks, dude!"

Without warning, the guy let out a high-pitched squeal as he eyed the DVD rack. "Is that the entire Duke of the Sphere trilogy complete with elf ears?!"

"Yes it is." Gar puffed out his chest with pride. "I told Cy the elf ears were a nice touch."

Turning to the cybernetic man, the redhead asked, "This place is state-of-the-art. I'm guessing you're the resident genius to thank for that?"

Mollified, Victor merely shrugged. "Well, I do my best. Although it can be rough being a misunderstood genius."

"Believe me, dude, I know the feeling."

Victor arched an eyebrow. "You a tech-head?"

"I dabble. Speaking of misunderstood, I can't help but notice that's some heavy duty reading you've doing there, Raven."

Surprised at being acknowledged, Raven lifted the novel she'd set on the table. "It's not such a big deal."

"I'd say reading a 600 page epic is a big deal. That's the Absolution of Nightfall, right?"

"It is." Raven acknowledged, pleasantly surprised someone cared what she was reading.

Turning his attention to the leader, the pizza man had a question. "So, Robin, what's it like leading a whole new team of Titans?"

The other's heads whipped towards the suddenly self-conscious Boy Wonder. "Same old, same old. I don't really like to talk about it."

"There were other Titans?" Starfire questioned, intrigued.

"Um, yeah. Me and my friends were really young. That's why the press stuck us with Teen Titans. It was better than some of the other names they came up with."

"Ah, the Tween Titans?" The delivery nodded in acknowledgment.

Robin blushed. "How do you know all this?"

"I do my homework." Slicking his hair back, his gaze was trained on the Tamaranean princess. "And you must be the lovely Starfire. Love your work."

"What did you say your name was?" Robin asked, stepping between them.

"Mikey."

"Well, Mikey, could we get our pizza?"

"But of course. Let me get that for you."

Moving towards the living room table, he reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a…television remote?

Quick as a whip, the man turned around and clicked a button, encasing the Titans in rays of energy.

The world went sideways before the teammates found themselves side-by-side in a formless void.

Just when Robin was about to speak, he was cut off by a booming voice as the 'pizza man's' face exploded to life above their heads.

"GREETINGS, TITANS!" The five took an involuntary step back in shock and horror. "You said you were unbeatable? CHALLENGE ACCEPTED! By…THE CONTROL FREAK!"

Glancing to the resident changeling, the empath growled. "You just had to open your mouth."

"So here's the deal, kiddies." The villain continued. "As a self-professed couch potato nerd, I can't deny I've been curious to see you all in action. Anywho, I have a pitch for each of you. How does Raven the Vampire Hunter sound?"

"No deal, psycho." Robin stepped forward, defiantly slicing his hand through the air. "Let us out of here, now. I'll only ask once."

"Patience, Boy Blunder. You'll have your turn as Robin: Junior Birdman!" Thoughtfully tapping his double chin, Mikey seemed to ponder something. "Now let's see…we'll round out our spring lineup with Cybercop, Starfire: Warrior Princess, and Beast Boy: King of the Jungle!"

"Uh, dude, while that last bit admittedly sounds cool, can't we just settle this like real men? Over a broadband connection?" Garfield coaxed.

"Ehhh…nope! This is way more fun!" Control Freak shouted with gleeful abandon as the blank world around them shifted.

…**.**

Once the world stopped spinning, Raven was able to get her bearings. She eyed the fog and the eerie full moon above her and sighed at the cliché. If she didn't know any better, she would have sworn she was in a scene of _"The Absolution of Nightfall."_ The only thing missing was…

A hissing sound interrupted her thoughts.

_Vampires_, she finished as she tensed up for a battle.

On cue, a quartet of pasty-faced bloodsuckers emerged from the shadows.

_Note to self: When this is over, kill Beast Boy._

…**.**

Robin blinked awake and rubbed his temples. He was leaning against the wall of an alleyway, a warm body pressed to his side. The redheaded girl was looking at him expectantly.

"Well, what's our next move? Are you helping me find my parents or not?"

"I'm sorry, who are you again?"

The girl rolled her eyes. "Greatest detective, my butt."

Mildly irritated, he prompted. "Just tell me about the case again."

1 hour later

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Dick laughed, brushing water out of his hair.

"If you call busting a drug cabal and almost sleeping with the fishes not so bad, then yeah." His companion replied, doing the same. "At least we found Mom and Dad before the deadline. Thank you." She smiled brightly at him.

Blushing, he couldn't help but return the smile.

Oddly enough, the longer Dick stayed in this fictional reality, the less bothered he was by it. He couldn't deny the appeal of handling things on his own. He vaguely remembered some others who'd been with him but he deemed that unimportant right now.

The redhead by his side that he couldn't name at the moment reminded him of someone he knew. She had red hair and green eyes, and he recalled having a thing for girls who looked like that.

In a way, this was what he had always dreamed about. The thrill of saving the day, rescuing the damsel, and being in charge. It almost seemed too good to be true.

And for some reason, he couldn't shake the feeling that it really was…

…

"I just wanted a pizza, maaaan." Victor groused as he ran across the rooftops, a squadron in hot pursuit.

The second he'd been dropped into this futuristic city, the locals hadn't been too friendly. They'd fired on sight, deciding to ask questions later. He figured the gigantic gun strapped to him didn't do anything to make him look less threatening. His accidentally firing it probably didn't do him any favors, either.

The cybernetic man yelped as a plasma ray narrowly missed his temple. From his wrist, he fired a grenade in kind, pouring on the speed as he tried to get some distance from his pursuers.

He just hoped the others were doing better than he was.

…**..**

"I don't suppose we could talk this over? I could introduce you to tofu?"

The jungle cat's roar in response was an emphatic no.

As it lunged at him, he squeaked and turned into a monkey, leaping into the trees above as it pursued him.

He panicked momentarily when his tail was grabbed before he morphed into a kangaroo and launched a firm dropkick in the predator's direction, sending it reeling before it snarled and raced back for more.

_I really screwed this one up_, Garfield thought. _I wish I had some help. Starfire could end this in no time flat._

…**..**

"CHARGE!"

Commander Koriand'r flew ahead of her army, sword brandished in front of her.

Her space suit covered more than her typical garb these days but was no less comfortable.

If pressed for an answer, Koriand'r truly couldn't provide the answers to how or why she was leading this army and fighting this battle. All she knew was that her warrior blood was calling to her.

With a shout, the princess began running enemies through left and right, finally being able to cut loose.

No holding back, no pulling her punches. It had been far too long since she'd fought without any reservations. She'd almost forgotten the feeling.

Although, she thought as she gutted a vile creature, it was quickly coming back to her.

…..

Safe in his own personal void, Control Freak watched the chaos with interest, eyeing five screens at once while chowing down on the pizza he'd 'borrowed' from the real pizza guy tossing out his thoughts and opinions aloud.

"Where are the vampire powers? Is she holding back? I at least wanna see some fangs!"

"Y'know, I thought this would be a little more exciting. Maybe a little blood. Peeing on a tree to assert dominance. I don't know why he would go for such wimpy animals?"

"Is it just me or is Robin a little too into this?"

"At least I can count on Cyborg for a little entertainment!"

"I spoke a little too soon. I've never been so terrified yet turned on in my entire life."

…

_Okay, this whole thing is getting ridiculous_, Garfield thought as he perched in a tree in sloth form while a stampede of T-rexes ran by. _I've got to find the others._

Suddenly, he got an idea. _Maybe I can get the others to come to me._

"Hey, dude!" He shouted to the heavens. "U-uh, CONTROL FREAK!"

The simulation halted as Neitz's terrifying freckle-faced visage dominated the skyline. "Yeah, what?"

"This can't be much fun having us all alone. Since you're so powerful and all that, why not fight us all together? Gladiator fight, Winner-take-all. In fact, I'm throwing out a challenge: You can't beat the Teen Titans all together, can you?"

"W-what? Of course I can! This is my world, kid! And I'll PROVE IT!"

With a click of his remote, the world was suddenly shifted and the Titans found themselves standing on a platform in an ancient Colosseum. To their horror, the stands were filled with identical copies of Control Freak while the genuine article sat on a dais in a horribly-revealing toga.

"Y'know, you're right, kid! Watching you guys by yourselves was pretty dull. I mean, c'mon, Raven! No fangs, no hissing, no bloodsucking?"

"I'm _not_ a vampire, you moron!"

"Oh. Really? I mean, with the complexion and all that, I just thought…never mind. And BB, where were all the cool animals? I was hoping to see a predator or somethin'."

"It's kind of a work in-progress."

"Oy, you guys are the worst superheroes ever! At least the rest of you provided some mild entertainment."

"Glad to know me almost getting blown to kingdom come amused you." Victor groused sarcastically.

"If you had played along and joined the Resistance, you'd have been fine. At least Robin and Starfire got into their roles. Maybe a little too much, but I digress." Jumping off his makeshift throne, Control Freak shifted his outfit to a dark jacket with pouches and spikes galore. Lifting his hands, he materialized twin lightsabers and cockily brandished them. "Come at me, kiddies!"

"Titans, go!" Robin called, charging in first.

Before Control Freak could even react, he found himself flat on his back, holding his bleeding mouth as Robin twirled his bo-staff in hand, prepared for him to strike back.

"Agh, you jerk! That really hurt! Y'know what, screw this crap!" Turning upward to his doppelgangers in the stands, he shouted, "Minions! ATTACK!"

A redheaded sea descended into the arena like a tubby cloud of death as the Titans prepared for battle.

"Get ready." Robin called to his teammates.

Waiting for their foes to come to them, the Teen Titans stood their ground, unafraid.

Robin began flattening doppelgangers left and right with fast strikes, disabling pressure points.

To his right, Starfire started clearing the battlefield with her strength and starbolts, realizing with delight that she didn't have to restrain her abilities for these doppelgangers.

Cyborg flattened enemies left and right, using stone pillars as twin implements of destruction.

Raven tossed foes away left and right, not really trying to hurt as much as incapacitate.

Meanwhile, Beast Boy had morphed into a giant Panda Bear, mowing down any unfortunate soul that came across his path.

Despite initially holding their own, the Titans' endeavor quickly proved fruitless as no matter how many enemies they knocked down, more would take their place.

"Titans, retreat!" Robin ordered, dropping a few explosive discs.

Once he had the others' attention, he gestured for them to follow him behind a fallen pillar to take temporary shelter.

Once they did so, the Boy Wonder pounded his hand into his fist.

"We have to get that remote!" Robin insisted. "It's the only way to shut this guy down. Starfire, can you…?"

"He'll see it coming." Beast Boy interrupted.

"How do you mean?"

"Think about it. Control Freak's had googly eyes for Starfire since the moment he laid eyes on her. And no offense, but she's not exactly subtle. It has to be me."

"This coming from the kid who becomes bright green animals." Cyborg put in skeptically.

"I'm being serious!" Beast Boy insisted. "Cy, you're a big hulk of artillery. Raven's the not-vampire and Robin's the leader. I'm just the goofy kid who can't even morph into predators. I can turn into something small and sneak up on him."

Robin pondered this for a moment. "Maybe." Turning to the others, he asked, "Raven, can't you just teleport and snatch it from him?"

"I'd have to concentrate and fully emerge from the portal. By that time, he'll be prepared for me."

Begrudgingly, Robin acknowledged the merits of Garfield's plan but was still reluctant as he turned back to him.

"Look, Gar, you can't just…" Robin trailed off, confused to find Beast Boy gone.

"Told ya!" The changeling shouted, already on the move. "Just keep him busy!"

"Man, he wasn't kidding." Cyborg whistled. "We really do ignore him, don't we?"

"He doesn't make it easy." Raven muttered.

"I, for one, agree with Garfield's plan. We must keep the Control Freak busy!" Starfire announced, charging back into the fray, hurling starbolts at whatever crossed her path.

"You heard her." Robin shrugged, digging some explosive discs out of his belt as he followed after her.

Garfield smiled in fox form as he watched his friends keep the army of nerds occupied while the genuine article barked commands from his throne.

_Just keep it up a little longer, guys._

"That's it, kiddies! Go for the eyes, break his jaw! Right hook, left jab!" Neitz let out an evil laugh of delight as he watched the chaos unfold before him, rapidly pressing commands into his remote. "Let's make this more interesting!"

Before everyone's eyes, The doppelgangers changed into aliens, gladiators, vampires, and mobsters who broke out in various groups to attack the four Titans out on the battlefield.

"Any time now, Grass Stain." Victor whispered as he tossed a lunging alien away.

"NOBODY CAN STOP ME NOW!" Control Freak screeched, brandishing his remote high above his head.

In a flash of feathers, the remote was snatched from the villain's hands and he whipped around to find Garfield morphing back into human form with a toothy smirk at the ready.

"Challenge accepted, dude." Savoring the look of shocked outrage for a moment longer, the boy cried, "Cy, catch!"

The robot-man reached out a hand and fumbled with the remote for a moment before securing it and putting some distance between himself and his enemies.

"Ok, let's see what we got here!" Victor said as he inspected the device.

"Hey! Hands off, cyber-tool!" Control Freak shouted before Beast Boy morphed into an ape and stomped him underfoot.

Victor panickily scanned the remote, eyeing the aliens coming towards him as well as his friends. The pandemonium around him was making it hard to focus.

"Cyborg, hurry up!" Robin shouted.

"You wanna work it, Robin?! Be my guest!"

"Just _hit_ something!"

"Fine! The heck with it." He shouted frustratedly as he pressed the home button.

A vortex exploded into life above their heads as the figments faded away.

"Uh, guys?" Victor called out as the void began to pull him upward. "You might wanna hitch a ride, this thing's pulling me in!"

"Don't have to tell me twice!" Gar shouted back as he morphed into a sparrow and entered the portal.

Raven summoned a disc of dark energy and hopped on, swooping over Control Freak's head as he cried, "Hey, hang on a minute! You can't just leave me here!"

The sorceress paid no heed as she followed Beast Boy through the entrance to the real world.

Starfire floated over to Robin, grasping his arm before ascending upward.

"Star, grab Control Freak first!" Robin called out.

"Why?" She responded in annoyed bewilderment, hardly slowing down. "It is his fault we are in this predicament in the first place!"

Grunting in frustration, Robin reached into his belt and fired a grappling hook in Neitz's direction.

"Grab on!" The Boy Wonder shouted.

Flailing desperately, the villain grabbed hold, crying out as his arms were nearly yanked out of their sockets by Starfire's speed.

Robin sighed in relief as he watched the vortex finally pull in Cyborg while groaning with the strain of holding Control Freak's weight with one arm.

And he wasn't the only one.

With a jolt, he recognized the telltale sounds of his line snapping.

Judging by his sounds of panic, Control Freak recognized it, too.

The two locked eyes for a moment before the inevitable happened.

SNAP!

"No!" Robin shouted.

"AAAAAHHHHHH!"

The last thing the Titans' leader saw before being swallowed by darkness was his new nemesis flipping end over end, shattered line still in hand.

….

Thankfully, the Titans had been safely returned to their living room almost as if nothing had happened. Nevertheless, the experience had been so jarring that the five of them had spent the past few minutes staring at nothing, trying to process what had happened.

"Well, that was weird." Beast Boy spoke up. "Same time next week?"

The others didn't look nearly as amused.

"Yeah, I didn't think so." The others gasped apprehensively as Garfield gingerly lifted Control Freak's implement of chaos. "Can I keep this in my room?"

Lunging over to snatch it from the changeling, Victor vigorously shook his head no. "I think I've got a better spot for it."

….

Once Victor had led the others to the intended destination, he gingerly opened the door to a rather non-descript and dimly-lit room with shelves and cases littered around.

"This place is supposed to be a storage room. Might as well start a collection." Cyborg shrugged as he placed the Remote Control on a shelf.

Robin glanced around the space, hands on his hips. "Dank, dark, and creepy. All this place is missing now is a giant penny."

"What?" Raven asked.

"Nothing."

"Are giant forms of currency common household items on your planet?" Starfire piped up, confusedly.

"If they are, no one told me." Cyborg frowned.

"Forget I said anything." Robin laughed.

As the five exited the room, Beast Boy couldn't help but gloat. "See, I told you guys we could handle whatever came our way. We took down our first supervillain and we weren't even prepared! Before you know it, that room's gonna be chock-full of bad guy loot. In fact, I think you guys owe me for our dramatic rescue."

The others stopped and stared in disgust while Victor wore a blank expression. "Y'know, Grass Stain, you're right."

_WHAP!_

"Ow! What was that for, Cy?" Gar exclaimed, rubbing the back of his head.

"You ever throw out another dumbass challenge like that again and I'm throwing you into the bay." His expression relaxing, he continued, "But seriously, Gar. Good thinking back there."

"Indeed." Kory agreed. "You were quite the hero today, Garfield."

Blushing, Garfield accepted the compliment. "Hey, it's what we do, right?"

"Well, I hope you all enjoyed yourselves." A new voice broke in as they re-entered the living room.

"Because playtime's over, kids."

Garfield stopped in his tracks as he couldn't believe who was standing before him in the living room. A bronze-colored metallic giant. A mummified man. The loving face of the woman who raised him. And the stern face of the man who'd started him on his superhero career. It was the Doom Patrol led by…

"Mento?"

**A/N: First and foremost, I apologize for the horribly long wait! I appreciate those of you who have still been reading. I also want to apologize for this chapter not being of the highest quality. Particularly, Robin and Starfire's portions. I was trying to indicate that their scenarios fed into their desires of cutting loose and being on their own but I understand if it didn't translate all that well. Beginnings are always awkward but I promise the story will be a lot better from here. I will do my best to update more frequently as I have much more time on my hands. Also, thank you guys so much for getting this story to over 3,000 clicks. I never dreamed this entire story would have that many, much less within the first 10 chapters. As I've said, we're just getting started. Finally, everybody stay safe in the midst of COVID-19 and God Bless!**

**Next Up: The Doom Patrol vs the Teen Titans!**


	11. Chapter 6: The Ides of March

**Then, Metropolis**

"Outta the way, wimps!"

The resulting cries of confusion and chaos were music to the ears of the young man-mountain known as Mammoth.

Clad in his signature black and yellow unitard (not his idea, but it did the job), he was currently stomping and smashing his way through Downtown Metropolis traffic.

With moneybags in hand and his red-headed sister Shimmer by his side, Mammoth didn't think life could get any better.

So naturally, life decided to give him a fist to the face in the form of…

"Superman." Shimmer said in awe before charging up her hands with energy. "Taking you out will do wonders for the rep."

"You wouldn't be the first person to say that." The Man of Steel responded as he floated down from his place in the air. "I'm giving you one chance. Stand down. Are you taking it or not?"

Dropping the money, Mammoth charged, fist at the ready. "HOW ABOUT NOT?!"

The young meta could've sworn he felt bones crack when his fist connected with the Kryptonian's open palm.

"Then I guess I have no choice." Superman responded calmly.

The next thing Mammoth knew, he was being spun in a circle by his wrist. Just when he thought he was going to puke, he felt himself be released and he wailed as he went flying into the stratosphere.

"Mammoth!" Shimmer cried before gritting her teeth. "You're gonna pay for that, Boy Scout."

She transmuted the ground into quicksand which Superman quickly tornadoed out of before blowing a gust of wind her way.

The villainess gasped in surprise before mutating the wind into a spear of calcium that she grabbed and threw back at the Man of Steel.

It shattered harmlessly against his chest but it did give him pause as she planned her next move.

Creating a sword of iron, she sliced the base of a lamppost before morphing her hands into a gloves of Mercury and touching the exposed wires.

As she'd hoped, the electricity conducted through her hands and she began targeting it towards Superman.

This time, he appeared to be hurt as he stumbled back against the current.

Kneeling down and drawing his cape over himself, Shimmer caught a brief glimpse of glowing red eyes before twin beams of heat blasted her hand away from the wires, cutting off the flow.

In 2 seconds, Superman crossed the distance between them and held her arms behind her back.

"Get off me, creep!"

The Kryptonian said nothing as he held her fast with one arm while outstretching his other behind him.

Shimmer was confused for a moment before she heard her brother's voice coming from the sky.

Just before he hit the ground, Superman floated upwards and grabbed him by the collar.

"Looks like your partner's ready to surrender." Superman said, nodding to the queasy and near-unconscious Mammoth. "How about you?"

Shimmer gritted her teeth in rage. She needed her hands to be able to use her abilities and this guy's grip was like, well…steel.

Mammoth looked down for the count. She sighed, almost grateful when her acknowledgement of defeat was interrupted by sirens.

Superman waited until the Metropolis SCU had prepped their metahuman restraints before floating down.

"Captain Sawyer." Superman nodded politely. "Any idea who these two are?"

"They're called Shimmer and Mammoth. If you can believe it, the boy you're holding is only 19."

Superman blinked in surprise. "He looks older."

"Genetic mutations do wonders for that." Maggie smirked before turning her attention to the glowering redhead clad in black leather. She offhandedly thought in different circumstances, she'd have a fetish for that, although if she voiced those thoughts aloud Toby would kill her for sure.

"Shimmer here has the ability to transmute anything into any element or compound she chooses."

"Where'd they get their powers from?" Superman asked as he helped the officers restrain the two metas.

"They're street kids. Offered themselves up for experimentation. Parents gave them up for adoption. They're lost in the wind so these two have been on their own ever since."

"Where will they go now?" The Kryptonian asked, as they were driven away.

"Stryker's. Once processed, most likely Belle Reve."

"Aren't they a little young for Belle Reve?"

"She's 25, and he's old enough to be tried as an adult." Captain Sawyer said dismissively. "Funny, you're not usually this sentimental about the people you put away."

"They're not exactly criminal masterminds, just desperate."

The woman paused for a moment, absorbing the words. "Be that as it may, they broke the law. Now they've gotta pay for it." Extending her hand, she said, "Anyway, thanks again. I don't know what we'd do without you, Superman."

Returning the gesture, he grinned, "Turpin would probably rest easier. Tell Commissioner Corporon I said hi."

"Will do." She grinned back as the Man of Tomorrow ascended towards the heavens, disappearing into the sky.

**Gotham City**

James Gordon cursed under his breath as he fired another shot at his pursuer.

The attack had been swift and unexpected.

One minute, it was another typically long night at the GCPD. The next, they were under assault by the latest freak spawned by this city.

The man was dressed in an ensemble of black and white with a blinding circular chestpiece in the middle, capped off by a white cape for good measure. On his head, he wore a helmet with a fin, for reasons Jim didn't bother to think about.

He was too busy trying not to get fried to bits.

The rest of his officers downstairs had been taken out rather quickly, leaving him alone while he raced to the roof.

If he could just get to the signal…

Ducking under a blast of searing light, the Commissioner lunged and was able to pull the lever to activate the call for the cavalry.

"Excellent work, Commissioner Gordon." The man boomed regally. "It was taking you forever to get to that thing." Igniting his chestpiece, he grinned, "But now that you've outlived your usefulness…"

With deadeye precision, a non-lethal blast connected with Gordon, sending him rolling across the roof before hitting the edge, unconscious.

With a small smile of satisfaction, Arthur Light turned to his true target all along.

Ah, the Bat-Signal. A shining beacon of light for the dark city known as Gotham.

Whenever the symbol of the Bat cut across the skyline, its denizens felt both hope and terror in equal measure.

Dr. Light intended to provoke much more of the latter.

Raising his hands, he activated his gauntlets and began siphoning the light of the Bat-Signal, drawing it into himself and stealing the rooftop of any light that remained.

"This city could use a little light." Arthur said to himself. "Especially since I've plunged it into darkness!"

The man laughed uproariously to himself.

"What are you doing?" A harsh voice spoke out of the darkness.

Immediately on guard, Dr. Light whirled and flashed a ray of brightness in the direction of the voice to find no one there.

"Who's there?! Show yourself!" He demanded as he kept surveying the empty rooftop.

"I don't know what you think you're doing but I suggest you stop. _Right_ now."

The cold and grating voice scared the would-be villain more than he'd like to admit as he jumped and spun to find himself face-to-face with the Batman.

Gathering his wits, the good doctor boomed, "I am here to shed a little light on Gotham City. This dark city, decayed and decadent, has been under the cloud of darkness for far too long. I am here to liberate it from-"

"What are you really here for?" The vigilante cut in, annoyed.

Speaking in a more casual voice, the villain answered, "Look, I just wanna gain a little respect so I thought I'd take you out. I know you have a fetish for sob stories and gimmicks like this." He said, flapping his cape. "Since you clearly have no patience for this, can we just skip to the fighting part?"

The Dark Knight smirked in response. "Sure."

"All right." Dr. Light sighed, revving up his gauntlets. "PREPARE TO BE—"

_CRACK!_

Once Arthur came to in police lock-up with a sore jaw, he asked, "What happened?"

It was clear Commissioner Gordon was trying to hold in his laughter while his right-hand man Harvey Bullock cut straight to the chase. "Pointy Ears knocked your sorry ass out." The Detective shook his head in amazement. "One punch. Heh, lightweight."

Bullock paused for a moment before laughing even harder. "Hey, I just made a funny! 'Lightweight', get it?"

Arthur wasn't nearly as amused. "Will you just take me to jail already?"

**Gateway City**

"See ya never, ya pit-sniffing pigs!" The tech whiz known as Gizmo cried in glee as he fled the scene of his latest caper, his laughter heard even over the roar of his jetpack.

Cale Pharmaceuticals had been working on a new wonder drug to stimulate body growth for the malnourished.

There were two reasons the red-bearded techhead had stolen it. One, it would do wonders on the black market. Two, the dwarf hoped it would boost his own stunted growth.

Every woman he'd ever met had always made him look puny. But that was all about to change…

His thoughts were cut off by a pressure around his sizable gut as he was yanked to the forest below.

Once he'd gotten his bearings, Gizmo couldn't help but sigh. Speaking of women making him look puny…

"Return what you've stolen and you won't be hurt." Wonder Woman ordered, holstering her lasso, her voice somehow being gentle while brooking no room for argument all at once.

"Y'know, you're right, Lady, I did a bad thing. I should stop this before I make it worse for myself, right?"

"Right." The Amazon cautiously agreed, arching an eyebrow at how easy this appeared to be.

"Wrong!" Gizmo cried, firing a grenade at her.

With a flick of her wrist, the Themysciran Ambassador was able to deflect it into the sky above her head while giving Gizmo time to move.

The man zipped through the tree-line, bobbing and weaving, hoping to shake the Amazon Princess.

A cursory glance behind him revealed that wasn't the case.

His eyes bugged out as he took in the sight of Wonder Woman chasing him on foot (in heels!), surprisingly keeping pace.

Quickly readying his wrist laser, Gizmo incinerated the tree line behind him.

_Try running through that, ya stinkin' bimbo._

He thought he was scot-free until he was hit in the back of the neck with some projectile.

Stopping to rub his neck, Gizmo looked up just in time to see Wonder Woman snatch her tiara out of the air and put it back on her head with all the dignity and grace manageable while nursing burn marks that were rapidly healing.

"Don't say I didn't give you a chance, little man." She said coldly, brandishing her sword with a wicked gleam in her eye. "Using the forest was a dirty trick, if not a clever one. But it won't save you."

"Rah, screw this!" Gizmo cried in frustration. "I just wanna be taller, all right? You wouldn't understand, lady."

"I'll petition the gods for you." She said sarcastically. "But I can't allow you to get away with stolen goods, no matter what my issues are with Veronica Cale."

"You want this?!" Gizmo cried, brandishing the vial. "You're gonna have to take it, Wondy. "

"My pleasure." She said, sheathing her sword.

With a warrior's cry, she slammed her bracelets together, a wave of concussive force being the last sensation Gizmo felt before he woke up in prison the next morning.

**Midway City**

"This is so not how I wanted to spend my day off." Green Lantern groaned as he took shelter behind a shield of his own making.

Hal Jordan was a man of simple taste. All he'd wanted to do was kick back and spend the day with his pal Barry, sipping on bourbon and chowing down on hot dogs.

Unfortunately, fate had other plans.

Their friend, J'onn J'onzz, the Martian Manhunter had called them in to help apprehend some telepath known as Psimon. The creep had escaped from Belle Reve and was apparently hiding out in Midway City.

Batman and Superman were unavailable and Wonder Woman and Aquaman were in Themyscira and Atlantis, respectively.

Fortunately, the two remaining Leaguers were more than enough to handle the job. Or so they thought. J'onn had been able to guard their minds from Psimon's influence but it required a decent amount of effort on the Martian's part.

The operation had started simple enough…

**5 minutes earlier**

Psimon, formerly known as Dr. Simon Jones, chuckled to himself, almost not believing his luck.

He was walking down the street in broad daylight, his disconcerting visage in full view. But thanks to his mental capabilities, he was able to project the illusion that he was a nondescript and irrelevant peon like all the rest he passed on the street.

Soon enough, he would find a safehouse and be able to plot his next move after his escape from that wretched complex known as Belle Reve.

Without warning, Psimon's world went sideways as he sank into the ground before reemerging in an alleyway, a grip of steel on his shoulders.

"Come quietly and you won't be harmed." A baritone voice intoned firmly.

Shrugging free, the telepath found himself staring down the Justice League's resident E.T. "I don't intend to surrender ever again, my dear Martian."

A shadow passed over the villain and he looked up just in time to see a green energy construct enclose him inside.

He sneered as he realized the box was a makeshift prison cell. He leaned through the bars to see the Green Lantern descending from the skies.

"Sorry to interrupt this fascinating repartee but I've got a life to get back to. It's my day off."

"Really?" The villain smirked. "Then Psimon says you should SLEEP!"

Harnessing his energies, he sent a psionic burst the Lantern's way, fracturing his focus causing the cell to disintegrate.

Not wasting any time, the bulbous-headed criminal dashed into the street, halting traffic with a wave of his hand.

Once he was safely across the intersection, he turned to find Lantern and the Manhunter flying after him.

He hissed with irritation and levitated some stray garbage cans, launching them their way while he ducked into an adjoining alleyway, bending a fire escape off its hinges so it would block his exit.

Meanwhile, Martian Manhunter let the trash pass harmlessly through his intangible body while Green Lantern put up a shield.

"J'onn, stay on that creep! I'll check on the civilians!"

Silently following his comrade's commands, J'onn floated through the debris to find a concerning sight.

On top of an apartment building, Psimon was mentally holding panicked and confused civilians aloft, sadistic glee clearly written on his face.

"Back off, Martian! Or the people get it!"

"Don't do this, Psimon! You'll only make things worse for yourself."

"Not before making things worse for them!"

J'onn gaped in horror as the villain released his hold on the people, about 15 in number, children included.

There was no way he could rescue them all.

Fortunately, he didn't have to.

Psimon stared in awe while J'onn sighed with relief as a red-and-yellow blur intervened, snatching innocents out of the sky in milliseconds.

5 seconds later, all were accounted for and unharmed, the Scarlet Speedster to thank.

"The Flash." Psimon sneered. "Well now it's a party."

Floating towards his friend, GL threw up his hands. "Seriously, man, you're the fastest one out of all of us and you're _still_ late."

Flash simply shrugged with a sheepish smile.

"I swear you'd be late to your own funeral." Lantern tutted.

"Au contraire. You're right on time!" Psimon cackled.

Harnessing his energies, he stretched his influence out to the crowd who had begun to gather on the street. One by one, he ensnared their minds under his thrall.

Soon enough, he had an army.

"Minions! Attack the Justice League!"

"Y'know, I never did think we fully won the people's trust." Hal quipped dryly.

"We must merely stun them!" J'onn shouted, keeping the group on task.

"We won't have to!" Flash called out. "I'm ending this right now!"

The Crimson Comet launched himself in the direction of Psimon only to find that the telepath had formed a human shield around himself.

Concentrating, Barry smirked to himself and phased through the throng of slaves only to find Psimon had rabbited somewhere else.

The speedster scratched his head in confusion for a moment before looking up to find a group of slack-jawed puppets looking down at him from various buildings with Psimon higher than them all.

"Flash! Psimon says, fetch!" The telepath shouted down as he mentally ordered his hostages to dive off of the rooftops.

"Damn." Barry muttered.

Assessing the situation and doing some lightspeed calculations, Flash sped to the center of where the sprawling bodies would land and began pinwheeling his arms, creating a whirlwind.

As planned, the updraft caught the civilians and gently lowered them to the ground. Psimon seemed to have loosed his hold as the people looked around confused at their strange sense of vertigo.

Once he was sure that everyone was unharmed, Flash raced back to his teammates. "Lost track of Psimon. J'onn?"

Switching tactics, the Martian used his abilities to peer through the buildings and spot their man.

"He's heading for the pier, 8 blocks from here."

Charging up his ring, Green Lantern created a bridge that reached towards the shoreline. "Flasher?"

Grinning in realization, the Sultan of Speed raced across the bridge and in 4 seconds, he was divebombing a disbelieving Psimon.

**Belle Reve**

"Hey, Jerry. You see the headline from Midway Municipal Times? Shows Flash knocking Megamind's lights out."

"Laugh it up while you can, ingrates." Psimon glared coldly at his handlers from behind bars. "I'll remember this when I get out of here."

"And I'll remember this when Flash or whoever puts you right back in here." Jerry chortled as he and his partner walked away. "Play nice with your new cellmate!"

Growling to himself, Psimon lazily pivoted to eye the bearded man laying in the cot across the room.

"No inhibiting collar? What makes you so special?"

Arthur glanced over, unimpressed as he appraised his new cellmate. "I took on Batman."

"I took on three members of the Justice League."

"And I reiterate: I took on Batman."

"And got taken out in one punch, I hear."

"From what _I_ hear, that's all it took for the Flash to put you down too."

"I'd think a setback from a man faster than the speed of sound holds more weight than taking one from a psychopath in a fright mask."

"You'd be wrong."

"What are your skills, exactly?"

"Manipulation and mastery of all light. With a suit of my own invention."

"Unlike you, I don't need a suit. I am the weapon."

"And yet somehow you're still locked in here, same as me."

Psimon glowered before meandering over to his bunk.

"I have a plan to remedy that, you know."

"Do you?" Psimon responded skeptically, his back towards his cellmate.

"Look, I have a man in general population. He's done some work for me before. And he has a connection on the outside."

"And just who would that be?"

"He calls himself Gizmo. He helped me…'acquire' some necessary components for my suit. Turns out he's locked up here, too. Wonder Woman brought him in."

"And what is the significance of his supposed 'connection'?"

"It's his kid. Turns out being a criminal super-genius runs in the family."

"What is he, 18, 20?"

"10."

"You're kidding."

Reminiscing on his one encounter with the boy, Arthur simply shook his head. "You'd have to see it to believe it. But the kid's good for it."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I need power. And it never hurts to have a few friends."

"Let's leave it at associates for now."

"Fair enough."

"What happens now?"

"I give Gizmo the signal that we're ready to move. The boy can have us transferred to Jump City."

"Why there?"

"Everyone loves sunny California. And Jump is just prominent enough without us being overexposed. Besides, there's no superheroes there to get in our way."

"You know the Terminator has been rumored to be hiding around there. And H.I.V.E. has laid roots in the place as well."

"I don't fear the H.I.V.E. and I don't plan on going anywhere near Deathstroke."

"Very well. You have yourself a deal, Mr. Light."

"It's Doctor. Doctor Light."

"Whatever."

…..

In the days since he'd become acquainted with his new cellmate/co-conspirator, Psimon could feel himself losing brain cells.

Thus, he found it imperative that he make his way to the prison library to remind myself there was a life beyond the mouth-breathers and petty thugs who inhabited this hellhole.

Unfortunately, the place was off-limits during mandatory activities. Psimon didn't particularly care for woodshop or whatever it was that was considered "constructive" around here, so he'd quietly stole away to the library, intent on getting some peace and quiet.

Once he'd finally made it safely to the dusty old room, he exhaled a calming sigh of relief which quickly turned into an anxious inhale when he saw a giant shape looming over him.

A giant young man with a red mane of hair was glaring at him, arms folded, as he stood protectively in front of a redheaded woman with close-cropped hair.

The young lady was sitting at the only table in the room, a book splayed in front of her, with only a small lamp for light. Her intense gaze met his, silently daring him to make a move.

The tense standoff was broken as Psimon pulled out a chair across from her and sat down, grabbing a book of his own to read. The scraping of the legs might as well have been a bomb going off, as quiet as it was.

As he calmly thumbed through the pages, he was aware of the others' gazes never wavering.

"I see you two thirst for knowledge as well." The telepath said calmly without looking up.

"Better than woodshop or whatever else is considered 'constructive' around here." The girl answered, going back to her own book.

"My thoughts exactly." Psimon grinned, pleased to have met another intellectual. "May I ask your name?"

"I'm not interested." Giving him a once-over, she snorted. "You're not exactly my type."

"Neither are you mine. I prefer my women with a more traditional look. Besides, I assume your boyfriend wouldn't approve."

"I'm her brother, pal." The giant rumbled. "And hands off her or else."

"I don't threaten." Psimon said, placatingly lifting his hands. "It simply doesn't hurt to have some friends in here."

The siblings scrutinized him for a moment before the girl spoke. "Shimmer. And this is Mammoth."

"I hope those aren't your legal names, my dear."

"What's your name?"

"Psimon."

She raised an eyebrow. "Birth name?"

"Simon."

She shrugged. "Selinda."

Psimon nodded in acknowledgement before lifting his eyes to the boy.

"Baran." He answered with a hint of embarrassment.

"Good to meet you." Psimon leaned forward, hands folded. "Am I to assume you're the two who went toe-to-toe with Superman?"

"You could say that." Mammoth frowned, a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Well, what would you two say if I told you I was working on an escape plan with some other associates?"

"I'd ask what's in it for you." Selinda answered suspiciously.

"I don't particularly trust the other two involved. But I have a good feeling about you two. Besides, our plans once we escape just might get you another crack at Superman as well as some help."

Selinda considered the offer before glancing back at her brother who nodded with a smirk.

Shooting back one of her own, she looked back to Psimon. "We're in."

**Belle Reve Cafeteria**

"What?! This is a three-man operation, Psimon. I didn't approve of you letting anyone else in on it."

"I don't recall asking for your permission, 'Doctor'." Psimon said sardonically. "I recognize the potential in those two. They would serve our little group quite well. Now are we meeting this friend of yours or not?"

"Fine." Arthur grumbled. "But this is it. No one else."

"Of course not. I trust the rest of these Neanderthals as far as I can throw them."

With a huff, Light motioned for Psimon to follow him to a table where a grubby-looking midget sat, brushing crumbs out of his full red beard.

"You can't be serious." Psimon groaned.

"I know he doesn't look like much, but trust me, he's legit. Come on."

_Too late to back out now_, Psimon thought as he prepared to engage this slovenly-looking creature.

"So you're the famous Gizmo." He started. "I'm told you have a connection with someone on the outside who can help us?"

Wiping his mouth and letting out a belch, the man answered, "Yeah, my kid." At the other man's skeptical look, he continued, "Don't look so surprised. Sumalee…that was a good night. Only chick that was short enough for me to get with. Anywho, the kid's not only inherited my boyish looks but he's got the brains too. He's good to spring us."

"I told you." Light grinned smugly.

"All right, then. How soon are we moving?" Psimon grumbled.

"I'll let ya know when the kid sends word."

**Tri-State Prison, Jump City, 2 weeks later**

"All right, maggots." JCPD Police Captain Arthur Hall called across the courtyard. "I don't know how or why you all got transferred here but I'm here to tell you right now that shenanigans will not be tolerated. If you think you're gonna have it any easier here than at Belle Reve, think again."

Tri-State Prison's five newest transfers remained silent, inwardly laughing at the Captain's bravado.

Young Gizmo had done his job well and gotten Shimmer, Psimon, Light, Mammoth, and his father moved to Tri-State Prison without a hitch. Psimon had his doubts but clearly the boy's talents were not exaggerated.

Everyone had their own parts to play in the plan and they'd discussed them at length. Now it was time to put them into action.

…**.**

It had taken time. Longer than he'd liked. But Gizmo was finally able to saw an opening small enough in his cell that he could squeeze out for a nightly stroll. The benefit of being a dwarf was that he was able to duck detection as long as he stayed low, hugged the wall, and clung to the shadows. As he explored, he was able to find a ladder in the janitor's closet and used it to reach up and hack the cameras. The contraband the kid had gave him had come in handy.

_Knocking up Sumalee just might've been one of the best investments I've ever made. _Gizmo smirked to himself.

Another gift from his progeny had been a remote control that allowed him access to the cells. The boy had been doing some work of his own, every time he visited with his unaware mother.

While she wasn't a saint herself, she probably wouldn't approve of her son aiding a prison break.

Still, where his mother had urged the kid to redirect his gifts for other things, his father had encouraged him. Despite how little they saw each other, there was still a bond between them, their similarities in demeanor if not looks quite apparent.

Whenever he'd wander out of his cell after lights out, he would scout the guard shifts and look for blind spots in the courtyard and report them back to his son in preparation for their escape.

When the guards finally noticed the tiny opening in the bars, Gizmo simply said it must have been rusty. There was no way to prove he had left. After all, had they seen him on camera?

As tempting as it was to just open up the cells and make a break for it, Gizmo knew he had to wait. Light had a plan. He just hoped it was a good one.

…..

Mammoth wasn't exactly a cunning super-genius but he was good for one thing: stomping holes in anybody who pissed him off.

With this in mind, everyone typically gave him a wide berth. The guards were no exception. Taking note of this, Light labeled Mammoth the enforcer. Any contraband they gained would be given to Mammoth as no one would be willing to shake him down or assume he was capable of planning a breakout.

He was also tasked with intimidating the other prisoners and keeping his allies protected inside. Soon enough, Mammoth began gathering a following of his own and his exploits in the weight room became a daily spectacle.

Taking advantage of his charisma and newfound influence, Mammoth had slowly been riling up and rallying the other inmates to rise up and take control.

By the time the breakout was set to go down, the inmates would be spoiling for blood, providing the perfect cover for an escape.

_And they say I'm just a big dumb ox. _Mammoth snorted to himself. Eyeing the guard who'd said so the other day, he sneered. "I'm taking you out first, Yorke."

…**.**

While his role in the plan wasn't as grandiose as the others, that was fine. Arthur had the vision. In the prison workshop, he had been creating some crude flash-grenades. Nowhere near as effective as his costume but Gizmo said his kid would bring that with him on the getaway truck.

On the side, Arthur had been mulling over an idea in his head. Something to give them an edge over the Justice League and whoever else sought to get in their way.

Psimon had been unsure when he had broached the subject to him but he couldn't let the idea go.

He theorized about creating life out of his light constructs. Sentient and powerful creatures obedient to him. Er, _them_.

They could rule Jump City with minions like that backing them up.

While Psimon was skeptical, he did seem intrigued by the prospect.

But Arthur supposed they'd cross that bridge when they came to it.

Which would be fairly soon. All was nearly in place.

…**.**

"It's…Sobel, isn't it?"

The young guard startled. "Huh? Uh, y-yeah."

"What's it take for a girl to get some booze around here? I'm suffering from withdrawal over here."

"Can't help you there."

"Aw." She pouted. "Even so, you're a lot nicer than the other guys in this place. Normally, the response I'd get is 'Quiet, Inmate!'"

The man chuckled. "Sorry to hear that, Shimmer."

"Please…call me Selinda." She smiled bashfully.

"Selinda." He smiled back.

And with that simple opening, Selinda soon had her new friend Vince spilling his guts soon enough. All it had taken was her giving him samples of her backstory and a pouty lip before the guard was under her sway. Turned out Vince was having problems at home. Too much time away from the wife. Truthfully, she felt a measure of pity for the man. He was cute in his own little way.

Apparently, Dinah wasn't a very good listener. But that was okay. Selinda had all the time in the world to listen to whatever daily minutiae "Vinnie" was concerned about. After all, she wasn't going anywhere. At least not yet.

After the first few weeks, she finally felt comfortable enough to ask the question: "When can I see you again?"

He'd almost been too eager to toss out info about his next shift and hadn't thought much of it when she'd asked who would be on duty at what time.

Finally, the day she'd been waiting for had arrived.

For Vinnie, it was just like any other day as he pulled up a chair and regaled her with whatever Dinah had done to piss him off that morning.

Naturally, he'd been completely shocked when the alarms started blaring and her cell door unlocked.

Her eyes lit up as her inhibitor collar powered off and unclasped. She melted it into toxic sludge before setting her sights on Vince who hadn't moved.

With a wave of her hand, she formed a carbon battering ram that slammed him into the wall, unconscious.

"Sorry, Vince. I really did like you." Shimmer grinned maliciously as she darted away. "Tell Dinah I said hi."

…

Psimon's part of the plan was possibly the most revolting, save for Selinda cozying up to a low-level grunt.

He played the role of the model prisoner. He'd had to endure insults and turn the other cheek constantly, but he was kept warm by the fact that his enemies would pay the price soon enough.

It had been gradual but Psimon had discovered that even with his collar on, he could still project low-level mind manipulation. Nothing major or outlandish, just subtle commands.

A request for another few moments out of his cell, newspaper clippings to keep informed, and currying the favor of the Warden who allowed him access to the library.

It had been happening so often that no one was the wiser, when, with Shimmer's information from Officer Sobel, Psimon asked to read in the prison courtyard after dinner.

Naturally, his new friend Warden Donal acquiesced. After all, why wouldn't he?

Alone against the wall, Psimon feigned interest in his book where he hid a transponder inside.

Clicking the button, he simply said, "Now."

"And here…we…go." Gizmo grinned as he opened the cells.

….

There was utter chaos outside, just as they'd planned.

Kid Gizmo had timed the shift change perfectly. Mammoth had rallied the other inmates to strike hard and fast, overwhelming the guards before they even knew what was happening. Light had used his flashbangs to aid in the uprising while Psimon simply stood back and enjoyed the show.

A full-scale riot was in effect. Just as he'd promised, Psimon used his powers to psionically track the others down as the Five found each other in the chaos.

"C'mon!" Gizmo called to his cohorts. "The getaway vehicle's over the south wall!"

"Is the gear in the bag?!" Light shouted over the noise, eyeing a duffel near the guard tower.

"Just as promised." Psimon said with delight. "All it took was a few mental suggestions for the guards to 'ignore' it. A psychic blindspot, if you will."

Opening it, Light cackled in glee as he found his suit, primed and ready to go. Gizmo outfitted himself with his own tech, ecstatic to be back in the saddle.

"Now all we have to do is clear the riff-raff and we're home free." Psimon smiled.

"So all you're saying is that we have to clear a path through a half-mile of human carnage to get to freedom?" Mammoth stepped forward, cracking his knuckles.

Shimmer stretched out a hand, morphing a catwalk into toxic sludge and giggling with malice as a slew of guards tumbled into the riot below.

"This is gonna be fun."

….

**Now, March 14, Titans Tower, Jump City, 6:15 PM**

"….Playtime's over, kids."

"Uh, sorry…just who the hell are you guys?" Victor demanded.

"And how the hell did you get in here?" Robin ground out.

"We're the kid's real teammates." The giant rumbled.

"And as to how we got in here…that would be me." The mummy said, jabbing a thumb at himself.

"Then I'm guessing you can see yourselves out the same way." Robin ordered more than asked.

The helmeted man stepped forward. "Like I said, playtime is over. The boy's coming home with us."

The boy in question was frozen, slack-jawed as he mutely observed the dispute.

"Last I checked, the kid ran away from you guys." Victor said, defensively stepping in front of the changeling. "And why wait almost 2 months to track him down? He wasn't exactly hiding."

"That's none of your business." The man answered, clenching his jaw.

"Beast Boy is our friend and teammate." Starfire stepped in. "I believe it is most definitely our business."

"Not to mention you're in our house without permission." Raven interjected. "I think you owe us an explanation."

The woman broke away from her group to lean down and lay a comforting hand on the stationary Garfield's shoulder. "Sweetheart, I know it looks bad but we just wanted to give you time. Don't you want to come home?"

"I…"

Before he could finish his thought, the Ops room television alerted everyone to an incoming transmission.

Seeing it was from Captain Hall, Robin strode over to answer the call but not before giving the intruders a baleful once-over.

"Captain Hall, what is it?" Robin asked once the JCPD captain's face appeared onscreen.

"There's a prison break in-progress at Tri-State Prison. I've already got reinforcements en route but there's a batch of super-criminals wreaking havoc up there. Figured that's what you kids were for."

"We're on our way." Robin affirmed, ending the call.

He turned just in time to see Beast Boy's old team enveloped in dark energy and disappear.

"So how do we get upstate in time?" Cyborg asked. "By the time we get there, it'll all be over."

"Maybe not." Robin answered. Turning to the empath, he implored, "Raven, can you teleport all of us there?"

"I'd have to know where I'm going. Or at least have familiar energy to lock onto."

"If I know Mento like I think I do, then the Doom Patrol's already there." Beast Boy spoke up quietly, all his enthusiasm from minutes earlier completely drained.

Robin nodded as he processed the information before turning back to Raven. "Can you lock onto their energy?"

Shutting her eyes for a moment, Raven concentrated. "I think I've got it. Everyone huddle up."

Following her instructions, the Titans were sucked into a world of cold and darkness before reappearing in the middle of a prison courtyard.

Raven took a steadying breath as she swayed for a moment. Teleporting multiple people still took it out of her and only recently escaping the Control Freak ordeal didn't help matters.

Meanwhile, the riot was in full swing. The guards were doing the best they could but were at the risk of being overrun. In the distance, the Doom Patrol was engaged in combat with the newest transfers.

"Titans, go!" Robin ordered.

The Doom Patrol leader known as Mento was engaged in what appeared to be a psionic struggle with the bulbous-headed inmate known as Psimon.

Further down the way, Elasti-Girl was dodging Shimmer's attempts to subdue her. The villainess was currently hurling sulfuric acid at the shapeshifter.

While she was fortunately able to evade the spheres of the compound, the fumes were beginning to take their toll.

Taking notice of this, Shimmer grinned as she shifted tactics.

Creating a sphere of chromium, the redhead encased herself inside before spreading sulfuric fumes towards her enemy.

Elasti-Girl began sputtering for air before she was snatched out of the fray by Starfire.

"Thank you." Elasti-Girl choked out before noticing the girl's strange expression. "Are you all right?"

The girl's face twitched before she turned away and sneezed in the direction of a few rioters.

The force sent out an explosive wave that floored a battalion of inmates.

"My apologies." Starfire sniffled. "I am allergic to metallic chromium."

"Gesundheit."

"Pardon?"

"Never mind."

"Oh, ladies!" Shimmer called. "Forgetting about little old me?"

"Look out!" Starfire cried, shoving her out of the way.

Elasti-Girl looked back to see the girl absorb the full brunt of a gold wall sent their way.

The redhead was thrown back for a few moments before planting her feet and blasting the wall to pieces.

Scooping up a handful of dirt, Shimmer transmuted it into a chromium-encased ball of sulfur which she hurled in their direction.

With a yelp, Starfire flew out of its reach only to find it following her.

Elasti-Girl stretched out her arm a few feet to grab it but Shimmer had anticipated that.

Enclosing her fist, she willed it to burst, the fumes inside proving overwhelming to the shapeshifter and knocking her unconscious.

Still manipulating the chromium shell, she tossed it over to Starfire who had banked around to check on the other woman.

Before she knew it, the Tamaranean was up to her neck in metallic chromium, sneezing up a storm.

"I'd really like to kill you two, but fortunately for you, I've got a ride to catch. Ciao, ladies!" Shimmer blew a taunting kiss as she ran off.

…..

The burly bearded tech whiz known as Gizmo was currently giving Robotman fits, cackling all the while.

"What's the matter, Robo-bum?! Can't fly?!" The man jeered, floating just out of the giant's reach, firing lasers.

Gizmo's jeers were interrupted by a sonic cry that caused him to clutch his ears.

"Need some help?" Cyborg asked as he joined the party, cocking his wave cannon.

"Not really, but I'll humor ya, kid." Robotman dismissed him.

Victor frowned in response before resuming his sonic attack, causing the tech whiz to drop out of the sky.

"He's mine!" Robotman roared, shoving Cyborg aside.

"Think again, ya dumb clod!" A high-pitched voice broke in.

Cyborg and Robotman turned just in time to be snatched and tossed aside by robotic claws.

Both were stunned to see a prepubescent Asian boy in a jumpsuit and goggles balancing on four robotic legs.

"And where the heck were you, kiddo?" Gizmo asked his son.

"Trying to save your bloated carcass, old man! C'mon!"

"I swear you get that mouth from your mother." The elder Gizmo grumbled.

Throwing down an EMP behind him, he fired up his jetpack and escaped the blast radius.

Cyborg and Robotman weren't so lucky, falling uselessly to their knees.

"Nice going, kid." The copper giant rumbled.

"Me?! You weren't doing squat until I jumped in!"

"Yeah, yeah…"

…..

On the other side of the yard, Dr. Light was threatening to overpower Negative Man, who was being bombarded by an assault from the villain's gauntlets.

"What's the matter?! Afraid of the light?" The villain taunted.

Suddenly, the area was encased in shadow.

"That depends." Raven intoned as she emerged from the inky blackness. "Are you afraid of the dark?"

"I fear nothing, girl." The good doctor sneered, settings his gauntlets alight.

Raven put up a shield just as Light's beams reached her.

"Thanks for the save." Negative Man nodded. "Think you can get me close to that jerk?"

"I can't do any more teleportation today. It's been a long one." The girl responded tiredly.

"You two seem a little ragged." The Doctor called to them. "I know just how to _brighten_ up your day."

Joining his hands together, he unleashed a wave of light energy that blistered their skin and rendered them down for the count.

"Oh, it's good to be back." Light grinned to himself.

…

Psimon had his adversary on the ropes, whoever he was when he felt a kick to his ribs, causing him to cry out and lose his concentration.

He rolled over to find the Boy Wonder in a fighting stance.

"You're going to regret that, brat." Psimon growled murderously.

"I don't need your help, kid!" Mento barked.

"Too bad, you're getting it!" Robin snapped in response.

"Why don't you both settle your differences when you wake up?!" Psimon shouted, sending a psionic wave their way.

The two heroes doubled over in pain and nausea.

Despite his efforts to hold it in, Robin couldn't help but throw up.

"I told you you'd regret that." Psimon smirked, kicking the boy down as he walked past him.

…..

While his teammates old and new had struggled to get along, Garfield had elected to go solo, coming after the biggest bully in the yard: Mammoth.

He'd transformed into a deer and charged Mammoth who saw him coming at the last second and stopped him dead in his tracks.

Swinging him by the antlers, the hulking strongman tossed him into a sea of inmates who didn't look too happy about it.

The men lunged for him but Garfield morphed into a butterfly and fluttered out of their clutches before shifting into a bee and stinging Mammoth's hide.

"That supposed to hurt, Green Hornet?" The giant chuckled before swatting him down. "What else ya got?"

Straining a little harder, Beast Boy took the form of a Golden Retriever and sank his teeth into Mammoth's arm, to no avail.

Shaking him off easily, Mammoth tutted. "Bad doggy. Looks like I'm gonna have to take you to obedience school."

Changing back to human, Garfield huffed for a minute. Doing so many transformations in such a short time was beginning to wear on him.

Desperately, he shifted into a falcon, flitting around his opponent and jabbing and pecking.

This only served to annoy the man, however. With a yell, he clapped his hands together making a shockwave that knocked Garfield out of the sky, causing him to shift back to human, unconscious.

"Better luck next time, kid." Mammoth chortled, lifting his hands to deliver the finishing blow.

"Mammoth!" Psimon called. "We're leaving!"

"You get a stay of execution, kid. You're lucky. This time." Mammoth sneered as he ran to the prison wall, hopping into the getaway transport with his cohorts.

…

After a few moments, the two teams began to stir from their defeat, the sounds of sirens awakening them.

"Great, they got away." Mento briefly turned to the Titans with contempt. "I'm sure you all can handle cleanup. Doom Patrol, move out!"

Garfield flinched as his former leader turned to him. "I trust you still have your communicator somewhere?"

The boy nodded meekly.

"Then you'll know where to find us." The man answered before joining his team as they vanished into thin air.

"Nice guys." Victor grumbled.

Noticing her friend's disquiet, Starfire prompted, "Friend Garfield, are you well?"

The boy startled as if just remembering the others were there. "Uh…I'm not sure." He halfheartedly shrugged.

"What now?" Raven asked.

Robin curled his lip with derision. "We handle 'clean-up'."

…**.**

"Well done, my friends." Light blustered proudly as the villains clamored into the abandoned warehouse young Gizmo had steered them into. "I think we acquitted ourselves quite well."

"You kidding, Light?" Mammoth crowed as he took a seat at the table in the center of the room. "We mopped the floor with those yahoos, whoever they were! Plus, did you see the look on Yorke's face? Priceless!"

"I must admit I had my reservations about this alliance." Psimon spoke out with a grin. "But it appears it's already paying dividends."

"Yeah, well, 'dividends' don't exactly pay the bills." Gizmo grunted before turning to his son. "Ya got a TV in this mudhole? I wanna see how many pigs we took out."

Kid Gizmo snorted before grabbing a remote and turning on a TV hanging over the lounge area.

"…_Bethany Snow live on the scene. I am here with JCPD Captain James Hall at Tri-State Prison, the site of a mass riot where we are told that five super-criminals who gave the Justice League a run for their money are loose in our city. Any truth to that, Captain?"_

"_How did you-?! We didn't release that information to the public!"_

"_I have my sources, Captain." _Bethany said evasively before pressing forward. _"Besides, isn't it in the people's best interests to know when their lives are in danger? By the sound of it, it looks like you were planning on covering this up until disaster struck. What else are you hiding, Captain?"_

"_This interview is over." _Captain Hall sneered, turning on his heel and muscling through the throng of cameras.

"_What's wrong, Captain?!" _The woman called after him._ "Trying to cover up for your new pals, the Teen Titans?!" _Turning back to the camera, she said_, "Speaking of whom, we are told that Jump City's new 'heroes' were on the scene. By all accounts, their mission was unsuccessful. Which begs the question…what can the Teen Titans do against the Fearsome Five, who have given the Justice League themselves headaches? Can the Teen Titans really protect us from real threats that our police force can't handle? Or will this little experiment flop before it's truly gotten off the ground? I suppose we'll have little choice but to shudder in terror as we wait for the answers to these questions and more. This is a disappointed and fearful Bethany Snow, signing off."_

There was a pregnant pause as the fugitives reveled in the havoc and fear they had brought to Jump City.

"The Fearsome Five?" Shimmer spoke up. "Ugh, is that really what they're calling us?"

"I believe it has a certain dramatic flair to it. It never hurts to have a little _je ne sais quoi _in this line of work." A smooth and calm voice spoke out of the darkness.

The five fugitives turned their heads to find a white-haired man in a suit stride out of the shadows.

"It would seem congratulations are in order. I must admit, your escape was rather impressive. Messier than I'd prefer, but commendable nonetheless. In light of that and given your abilities, if you're interested, I'd like to offer you all a place in my organization."

"And just who are you?" Psimon asked, confused as to why he couldn't pierce the stranger's mental defenses.

"Oh, excuse me. Where are my manners?" He paused, as if for dramatic effect. "I'm Damien Darhk."

"Leader of the H.I.V.E.?" Doctor Light asked in astonishment. "I've heard about you."

"Does that mean you're interested?"

"Now hold on a moment." Psimon interjected. "_I've_ never heard of you. And in case you haven't noticed, we're busy forming a little cabal of our own. I do believe we'll get by without your assistance, Mr…Darhk, was it?"

"I see." Striding to their table, he placed something down and slid it in their direction. "Here's my card for when you inevitably fail."

On that note, he buttoned up his lapels and headed back in the direction he came before stopping to speak over his shoulder. "Oh and by the way, your little 'cabal' won't make much headway in this city with the Teen Titans in your path. I'm in the process of dealing with them but if you beat me to it, I'd have no complaints."

Once they were assured that their visitor was gone, the group began to speak amongst themselves.

"I, for one, think it's a great opportunity." Light spoke first.

"Yeah, I've heard a lot about the guy." Gizmo put in. "H.I.V.E. does cutting-edge stuff. We'd be on top of the food chain in no time."

"I don't want to be under anyone's thumb." Psimon insisted. "We're powerful enough on our own and he didn't look that threatening to me."

"Besides," Shimmer spoke up, "That guy gave me the creeps."

"For good reason, if the stories about him are true." Light assured.

"Kookiness aside, he did have a point about the Titans." Mammoth said.

"Fair enough." Psimon agreed. "I suppose we'll have to make examples of both them and whoever that other group was. Once that's done, we can claim this city for ourselves and work our way up to defeating the Justice League. Individually, we gave their members fits. Evening the odds should give us the advantage."

"Now all we're missing is a name." Shimmer mused.

"Tacky as it is, I suppose it'll work." Psimon sighed. "The Fearsome Five it is."

…..

Robin sighed as he hung up on a conference call before swiveling back to his teammates. "Captain Hall says none of the guards were seriously hurt. Everyone in general population is accounted for and back in their cells except for the Fearsome Five."

"You don't sound too thrilled about that." Cyborg noted.

The Teen Wonder knit his eyebrows together, staring at the floor before lifting his eyes to their resident changeling. "I just think we could've handled this ourselves. We don't need any help. There's five of us and five of them. The odds are even so I'd appreciate it if you'd tell your old team to back off."

Garfield's eyes flashed with irritation. "You think I _told_ them to come in and make us look like idiots?! I was just as surprised as any of you guys when they showed up. I figured they'd forgotten all about me in the two months they didn't bother to contact me. " He finished bitterly.

"B, you told them you're a Titan now, right?" Victor asked calmly.

Garfield's silence spoke volumes.

The hush was ended by the sound of beeping.

Instinctively, Beast Boy whipped out his old Doom Patrol communicator before guiltily looking at the others. "Mento's summoning me."

"And I suppose you'll just come running." Raven snarked, rolling her eyes as she floated in the direction of her room.

Garfield glared at her back, inwardly knowing she was right.

Starfire sidled up to the boy, sadness in her eyes. "I understand the burden of duty to your family, Garfield. Do what you feel is best."

With that, the Tamaranean exited the room, tossing back a glance over her shoulder at the boys.

Victor elected to follow her but not before clapping Gar's shoulder, saying, "Just do what you want, kid. And don't worry about whose feelings ya hurt."

Robin was silent until he heard the doors shut, signaling Victor's exit.

Sliding a communicator across the countertop, Robin simply said, "This is yours if you want it, Beast Boy. But you have to make a choice. Are you with them or us?"

On that happy note, The Boy Wonder exited the kitchen, leaving his green friend with a decision to make.

….

Garfield took a shuddery breath as he gave one more furtive glance to his Doom Patrol communicator to confirm he was in the right place.

Morphing into a fly, the changeling entered the hotel and flew up to the hallway. Changing back to human form, he hesitated a moment before screwing up his courage and knocking on the door.

To his relief, he was first greeted by the pleasantly surprised face of his mother. "Sweetheart, you made it! We weren't sure if you'd come."

Garfield smiled briefly in response as he stepped inside.

"Good timing." Larry said. "We were just about to head out to the electric plant. There's a completely unnatural lightshow happening over there. It has to be Dr. Light and the others."

Noting the discontented look on the boy's face, Cliff tilted his head. "What's wrong, kid?"

Steeling his nerves, Garfield turned to look into the eyes of the man he'd been avoiding eye contact with since he walked into the room. "You should work with the Titans. Not against them."

"Excuse me?" Mento prompted, as he put his helmet on.

"This is our city and our problem. You guys wanna tag along? Fine. But we're letting _you_ guys help, not the other way around." Emboldened, he fished into the belt of his uniform and dug out his old Doom Patrol mask. "And another thing. This thing right here? Goofy. I'm not gonna be your team mascot anymore. With the Titans, I'm a _teammate_, not an accessory, and not a liability. I'm a Teen Titan now, whether you like it or not." Awkwardly shifting his weight, he added, "But I'm still keeping the uniform because it, y'know, keeps my clothes on."

Negative Man chuckled under his breath while Robotman admitted, "The mask was pretty goofy."

Rita laid a comforting hand on her son's shoulder as she and he looked to her husband.

The leader of the Doom Patrol stood silent for a moment, his gaze giving nothing away.

Huffing out a breath and putting his hands on his hips, he uttered, "Fine."

Rita felt the tension in Garfield's shoulders lessen minutely. "Fine what?" The boy asked tentatively.

"Fine, we'll help you and your team. Now, I believe we're needed?"

Steve gave the boy a ghost of a smile and his surrogate son returned it with a beam of his own.

Just then, his communicator began beeping.

On instinct, Garfield reached for his Doom Patrol one before realizing and retrieving his new Titans' one instead.

Flipping it open, Robin's image filled the tiny screen and the others could be seen behind him.

"Beast Boy, there's something happening at the power plant. We think it might be Dr. Light and the others. We're about to go check it out. Are you coming with us or not?"

Looking up to the faces of his family around him, Gar looked back down with a toothy grin. "We'll be there."

…

Beast Boy couldn't help the sense of pride and familiarity wash over him as he met his friends at the entrance to the power plant with the Doom Patrol backing him.

Robin nodded at Mento before stepping forward. "I'm guessing it's pretty obvious it's a trap."

"Obviously." Mento agreed. "Do you find it all right if we pair off the way we did at the riot?"

"Sounds good to me." Robin confirmed. "Beast Boy, can you handle Mammoth?"

"Consider him handled, dude."

"Good." Mento walked ahead of Robin, slowly prying open the fence. "Everybody ready?"

The two teams nodded their assent.

The beacons of light in the sky had stopped ever since the heroes had entered the premises, confirming their enemies knew they had arrived.

"Mento, do you sense anything?" Elasti-Girl whispered to her husband.

The man closed his eyes for a brief moment and concentrated before shaking his head. "No. Psimon's shutting me out."

Raven put out her own psychic feelers before speaking out. "They're here."

"I don't suppose they're projecting warm and fuzzy feelings our way?" Beast Boy joked.

"Sure. They've got fruit baskets and juice boxes waiting for us, too." Raven responded sarcastically.

The main entrance was melted, no doubt by corrosive material.

"Guess we know how they got in." Cyborg muttered.

"Negative Man, scout ahead and tell us what we're up against." Mento ordered.

Wordlessly, the meta followed his leader's command and projected his form deep into the compound.

The heroes sat in silence before Robin broke it. "How long does this normally take?"

"He can only be gone 60 seconds before he has to return." Mento answered.

"And how many have passed?"

"67." The older man replied grimly. "Let's move it, people."

"Fan out!" Robin cried, as he and Mento raced down the corridors. "Everybody get into their groups."

The two leaders reached the backlot of the plant only to stop short in horror as they found Negative Man, groaning in pain as his form was trapped in a sphere of intense light that they could scarcely look at.

"Ah, how nice of you all to join the party." Dr. Light boomed menacingly, emerging from the shadows.

"What are you doing to Negative Man?" Mento demanded.

"I'm simply showing him how to…lighten up."

"Enough games, Light!" Robin roared, reaching into his belt and flinging a trio of birdarangs at the villain.

Light simply scoffed as he lifted a hand to incinerate the measly weapons. "Good try, Boy Blunder. But you'll have to do better than that."

Gritting his teeth, Robin brandished his bo-staff and dashed towards Light.

His attempt was thwarted by the arrival of Mammoth who was barreling towards him at an alarming speed.

Fortunately, Mento stopped the rampage in its tracks, mentally lifting the behemoth and tossing him in the direction of Dr. Light.

The caped man gasped and jumped aside just in time while breaking his concentration, setting Negative Man free.

Before he could collapse to the ground, Mento telepathically intercepted him and floated him to his side.

"You all right?" He asked gently.

"I will be. As soon as I stop seeing spots in front of my eyes. Thanks. Weren't you supposed to be bringing backup?"

"Good idea." Gizmo Jr. sneered as he and his father floated into view above their heads. "'Cause you gunk-munchers are gonna need it!"

The premature gloating was silenced by a sonic cry.

"I couldn't agree more, half-pint!" Cyborg smirked as Robotman ran by him to attack the father-son tandem.

Laughing triumphantly, Robotman plucked the two geniuses out of the air. "I'd rather be a gunk-muncher than a midget."

Both of them roared in outrage while simultaneously throwing grenades at his face.

Yelping, he dropped them quickly and skidded into Cyborg, the force blowing him back.

When the two men looked up, their quarry was gone.

"Where'd they go?" Robotman grumbled.

"Hang on a second." Victor held up a hand. "I'm switching to infrared."

He scanned the battlefield for a minute before finding a heat signature behind a bed of generators.

_Where's the other one? _Cyborg mused to himself before speaking aloud, "C'mon!"

**1 minute ago**

"Kid, get outta of here!" Gizmo shouted at his son. "And take this!" He exclaimed, shoving a card into his hands.

"What-?!"

"Just go! Follow the address and join up. I'll find you when all this is over!"

"But…"

"NOW!"

Reluctantly following the command, young Gizmo fired up his jetpack and flew over the wall.

And not a moment too soon as the older tech whiz was rammed from behind by wave of sonic force.

"Goin' somewhere?" Cyborg asked as Robotman flanked him, arms folded.

Rather than reply, Gizmo pulled a flamethrower from his belt and fired it.

The two heroes dodged which was what the redhead had been counting on. Using the stream of fire, he began melting a support beam, causing it to groan and collapse on top of his foes.

"Sorry, fellas. But I've got places to be."

As he began flying away, Cyborg and Robotman shared a look of determination before pushing up against the massive beam they were buried under.

With their combined strength, they were able to hoist it above their heads with dual cries of efforts before tossing it in Gizmo's path.

It happened so suddenly that Gizmo had no time to stop before he slammed into the beam and collapsed, unconscious.

"Nice work, kid." Robotman acknowledged. "I did most of the work, though."

"Sure you did."

Across the yard, Mammoth shook off the cobwebs and began to gear up for another mad charge before getting rammed in the ribs by a green mountain goat.

"Kid, you are so gonna pay for that!" The behemoth snarled in irritation.

Changing into a squirrel, Beast Boy darted away and awaited the next pass. He'd learned his lesson from last time.

He'd tried to go pound for pound with this guy before. Since that didn't work, it was time for another approach.

Steve had been preparing him to do something like this for years but the option had always been unappealing. But Garfield supposed now he had no choice.

"You've still got time to give up, dude." Garfield taunted. "I don't know if you can handle this next morph."

"Oh yeah?" Mammoth grinned. "And what's that?"

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Gar smirked in kind.

With that, he shrank down into a koala, striking a ninjutsu pose for good measure.

Mammoth stared for a moment, dazed, before he threw his head back and began cackling with abandon.

Just as Garfield had hoped.

Shifting into a sparrow, he flew over quickly before shrinking into something even smaller and diving down the giant's wide-open gullet.

Mammoth choked for a moment before recovering his wits and wondering where the half-pint had gone.

He soon had his answer when his intestines began to rumble as he dropped to his knees. He doubled over before gagging and retching up blood and a green tapeworm along with it.

Changing back to human form, his uniform miraculously unscathed, he dusted off his shoulder with a proud grin.

"Told ya." He shrugged cheekily to his prone foe. To himself, he added, "Ugh, that was gross. Lay off the red meat, dude."

Mammoth made to reply before retching a second time.

"See what I mean?"

"What did you do to him, punk?!"

Beast Boy whirled around to find that the voice belonged to Shimmer, who was incensed at her brother's current state.

His voice cracked nervously as he responded, "Educated him on the consequences of his diet?"

"You think you're real funny, don't you?!"

"Some people don't think so."

Growling, she raised her hands to attack him before a punch from 5 ft away knocked her for a loop.

Watching the hand retreat back to its owner, Garfield called, "Thanks, Mom!"

"Anytime, honey!"

Capitalizing on the distraction, Starfire put Shimmer down for the count with a well-placed starbolt as she descended from the skies, hands and eyes glowing.

Downwind, Mento was engaging Psimon once more.

While the two engaged in another war of wills, Robin came up from behind and wrestled Psimon down in a sleeper hold, causing him to yield as he gasped for breath.

Meanwhile, Dr. Light was backing away from the chaos to try and get his bearings. Unbeknownst to him, an inky darkness began to shroud around him until he could see nothing else.

"This again, girl? I told you, I'm not afraid of the dark."

He took an involuntary step back as four pairs of red eyes gleamed in the darkness. "You should be."

Roaring in outrage, he began firing blindly into the darkness, never hitting his target. "I think I've found your weakness, child. You only seek to distract me. You hesitate to go on the offensive, to attack."

He heard the flutter of a cloak which was all he needed. He fired in its direction and was satisfied by the grunt of pain that answered him.

Finally tagging her, the darkness dissipated. "I don't." He grinned smugly, charging up an attack to eliminate the witch for good.

"Don't try it, Sparkles." Cyborg called out from behind, the entirety of the two teams behind him. "Or it's the last move you make."

"You've lost, Light. It's over." Mento said.

"Not quite, my friends." Light said, lowering his hands. "There's still one more gambit up our sleeves."

"Our?" Beast Boy asked, confused.

Rising from his supposed unconsciousness, Psimon shouted, "NOW!"

Taking advantage of the momentary confusion, Light generated a shockwave that scattered the heroes across the complex.

Acting quickly, he raised his hands and channeled the full power of his gauntlets to absorb the electricity of the entire complex into one concentrated burst.

Grunting with the strain, Dr. Light began to concentrate and focus his energies into giving the power a humanoid form.

"PSIMON!" He cried over the roar. "DO IT!"

The psychic grinned with malice for a second before closing his eyes and stretching his hands towards the mass of power. He cried out in anguish as he turned his full attentions into giving the power life.

The Doom Patrol and the Teen Titans began to stir, looking on in horror as the colossal mass of electricity glowed harshly.

Finally, the two villains ceased as they both keeled over, drained and unconscious from their work.

Nonetheless, they had succeeded. They had created life.

"My God." Mento breathed out as the being straightened up.

"What is it?" Elasti-Girl beckoned her husband.

"They gave it…life."

"You're saying that thing is ALIVE?!" Beast Boy cried out, grabbing his hair, watching in horror as it turned and began to move towards the city, beginning to carve a path through the surrounding forest.

"It won't be for much longer." Robotman declared. "What are we waitin' for?!"

Racing after it, the metallic being dived at it only to be repelled by a spike of electricity, leaving him searing and sparking.

Negative Man sunk into the ground, using his powers to make the forest floor intangible, sinking its feet underground. The creature stopped midfall and floated back above ground before continuing its trek towards civilization and more power.

Her eyes glowing white, Raven uprooted trees and generators from their moorings tossing them at the creature who hardly slowed its advance.

Cyborg approached cautiously, gasping as a stray bolt of lightning struck at him. He instinctively raised his hands, groaning as the energy made his teeth chatter. Strangely, it didn't hurt as much as he thought it would.

_Dad must have made me a lightning rod_, Victor realized gratefully as the energy passed safely through his body.

Elasti-Girl hovered in the vicinity, dodging energy spikes herself. "Aghh!" Rita gritted her teeth. "I can't get close to it!"

Robin tried his hand, throwing explosives and ice discs to no effect.

Mento used his helmet to try to hold the creature back by force of will, which only lasted a few moments before it shrugged off the effects, trudging forward.

Starfire was whizzing around it head, shooting starbolts that may as well have been flashlights for all that monster knew.

"This isn't working." Garfield muttered to himself, watching the others' efforts.

Giving it some thought, he realized the problem. Everyone was working on their own.

"Guys, we have to do this together!" Garfield shouted, cupping his hands over his mouth.

"Any ideas, Green Genes?!" Victor asked frustratedly.

"Yeah, actually. Everybody huddle up!"

Reluctantly following his command, the two teams came his direction, warily watching the monster ignore them.

"What are ya thinking, kid?" Robotman asked as the others looked at him expectantly.

Not used to being the center of attention like this, Garfield took a calming breath. "I'm thinking that you, Cyborg, and Starfire should group together. You guys are the strongest three people we have. And there's strength in numbers, right?" Continuing, he said, "Larry, you can try to interface with that thing, right? If you can find out whether it has a soul or whatever, then Mento can get inside its head." Turning to their resident empath, he said, "That's where you'll come in, Raven."

"Me?"

"Yeah, you have that empathy stuff, right? Maybe you can use your powers to keep that thing calm."

"I've never tried anything like that before."

"Well, there's a first time for everything. Besides, I believe in you."

She looked surprised for a moment before schooling her expression back into a mask of calm with a hint of trepidation. "Thanks." She said quietly.

Simply nodding, he looked to Robin and his stepmother. "Robin, I don't think there's too much the rest of us can do here. That thing's heading for the city at, like, a snail's pace. I say we get ahead of that thing and try to warn some people."

Robin looked impressed while Rita looked proud.

"Good thinking, Gar." Robin agreed. "I'll call ahead and let Captain Hall know what's up. If there's any collateral damage, we'll be there to help out and usher people to safety."

Beast Boy and the others subconsciously looked at Mento.

"You heard the kid." Steve said. "We have our orders. Let's follow them."

Garfield beamed before morphing into a horse and nodding at Robin and Elasti-Girl to hop on his back.

Once they did, he whinnied and raced through the trees to get to town before 'Overload' did.

"Here we go again." Cliff sighed, as he and Cyborg ran after Starfire who flew ahead of them to slow Overload down.

**Downtown Jump City**

"Clear the area, now!" Elasti-Girl shouted to the populace, morphing her hands into a kind of megaphone.

In the streets below, Robin was talking to the JCPD about the situation they were up against, urging them to remain calm and insisting that the situation was being handled.

_I wish I was that confident about this whole thing_, Garfield mused as he stood on a rooftop, watching Overload approach.

Cliff was hurling boulders at the thing while Cyborg and Starfire were trying to blast it to kingdom come to no avail. No matter what the powerful trio threw its way, Overload continued to trudge forward.

While he wasn't lying when he'd said he believed in Raven and the others, he still found it hard to resist the urge to bite his fingernails through his gloves.

"C'mon, guys." He murmured. "Any time now."

…

"You guys' ready yet?!" Robotman shouted to the remaining three members of their respective teams.

"You up for this?" Mento asked the girl behind him.

Raven stepped forward. "I'm ready."

With a resolute nod, Steve fired up his helmet to full capacity. "Showtime, Larry."

Negative Man passed through the creature, confirming there was a soul inside for Raven to interface with. "Now!" He called.

Stretching out a hand, Mento reached out to its chaotic and garbled mind. He felt it beginning to fight him less and less as Raven began chanting under her breath.

Sweat began running down his face but Mento could feel the defenses weakening. Finally breaching it, he ordered it to stand down and disperse.

There was a cloudburst of light and sound before it dissipated as if it had never been there at all.

For a minute, it was quiet as everyone paused to catch their breath and recover from the battle.

They all looked up as a green steed raced out of the tree line, Robin and Rita in tow.

Once they dismounted, it changed back into an ecstatic Garfield Logan.

"You guys did it! That was awesome!"

"Hey, it was your idea." Victor grinned, raising his hand for a high five that Garfield happily gave him.

"Now what?" Garfield spoke, addressing the others.

"Now we handle clean-up." Mento said with a wry glance in Robin's direction.

**Jump City Power Plant**

The Titans and the Doom Patrol returned to where their battle began, intent on apprehending their still-unconscious enemies and beginning to tie them up for the authorities that Robin had called to bring them into custody.

"All's well that ends well, I guess." Beast Boy proclaimed, grinning like his old self to both teams' amusement.

"Not quite." Mento rebutted.

Garfield froze, worried about what his stepfather's latest complaint was. "What do you mean?"

"We're missing two of them."

"Oh yeah." Cyborg agreed, eyeing the blood patch where Mammoth had been laying. "Too-Tall and Midget #2."

"Hey! Don't talk about my kid like that!" Gizmo spat from his restraints as he awoke groggily.

Lifting him by the collar, Robotman asked, "Where'd he go, Shorty?"

"I dunno, Metal-Mouth. For all I know, he's on his way to Milwaukee."

Mento quickly scanned his mind. "He's telling the truth. He sent the kid somewhere but he never actually checked the location. Smart."

"This guy gets it." The neckbeard smirked.

"Either way, you're all still going behind bars." Robin declared. "Your kid should be joining you soon enough." Glancing at Shimmer, he said, "Mammoth, too."

The villains glared as they were hauled to their feet as the police arrived to take them into custody.

**10 minutes ago**

Lil' Gizmo took a breath in the woods, watching as the giant monster collapsed. He was so entranced by the sight that he didn't feel a presence behind him until it touched his shoulder.

"Wah!" He yelped.

"It's just me, half-pint!" Mammoth whisper-shouted, raising his hands in surrender.

"What do ya want, munch?!"

"My sister told me if this went south, run and find that Darhk guy. I'm guessing your Pops told you something similar?"

Casting a sad glance at the power plant before quickly schooling his face again, he glared. "Yeah, so?"

"So why not go together?"

"Fine. But only because they'll shoot at you first."

…

"You sure this is the place, kid?"

"That's what the friggin' address said, alright?!" Surveying the gross alleyway, Gizmo wrinkled his nose at the stench. "This place is a dump. Is this some kind of a joke?!"

Without warning, the earth shifted beneath their feet and the two boys scrambled back as a panel slid aside, a dozen soldiers clad in black and yellow rising from a staircase, weapons at the ready.

Gizmo blanched and held his hands up in surrender while Mammoth looked ready to charge.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Gizmo pled. "Hang on a minute!" Brandishing the card his father had given him, he continued, "We got sent here! My pops is Gizmo! Your boss paid us a visit the other day and invited us, ya dumb clods!"

The battalion was silent before one of them tapped his helmet, seeming to listen to a command.

"Get in." He ordered.

Nervously stepping past them, Gizmo nodded at Mammoth to follow as they descended the staircase which led to a giant door resembling that of a bank vault.

The commander put his hand on a panel, granting them access.

"Woah." Mammoth breathed in awe.

They were on a catwalk inside a structure vaster than they'd imagined. All over the complex, hexagonal patterns like a beehive adorned the walls. Below them, there was a receptionist desk of all things along with a directory.

As they were ushered to the bottom of the steps, a familiar face waited for them, a young girl standing rigidly behind him.

"Gentlemen, good to see you." The H.I.V.E. Headmaster greeted them warmly, though his eyes still held a calculating look. "I'm glad to see you made the right decision. The Headmistress was just looking for some new recruits. Allow me to introduce you to your liaison." Turning to the girl behind him, he beckoned, "Jinx, if you would, please help our friends Mammoth and Gizmo get settled in."

"Yes sir, Mr. Darhk."

The gray-skinned girl with pink pigtails moved from her position to give the two boys the once-over. Her gaze reached high to inspect Mammoth while having to dart down to appraise Gizmo.

"Welcome to the H.I.V.E. Academy, boys."

**March 15, Titans Tower, 11:00 AM**

While Mammoth and young Gizmo had been lost in the wind, the Doom Patrol considered their work finished, trusting the Teen Titans to handle it on their own.

Mento and the others had returned to the Tower to bid the Titans farewell, carrying a box with them, oddly enough.

"I am curious, Friend Rita." Starfire spoke, tilting her head quizzically. "Why did you and the other Doom Patrol members not stay and receive the congratulations with us?"

Elasti-Girl smiled kindly at the girl. "The Doom Patrol prefers to fly under-the-radar, Starfire. We find it easier to operate in secret. Less red tape, less distractions, and less chances of being threatened."

"I see." The girl nodded. "Nevertheless, you all are heroes in my mind and were a great help to us."

Rita laughed gently. "I'm glad."

A ways from them, Larry was engaged in conversation with the Titans' resident empath.

"Y'know, Raven, you handled yourself pretty well out there. You've said that your powers are actually magic?"

"Sorcery, technically. But yes."

"Impressive. Truth be told, I'm not entirely sure of the nature of my own powers. From what I gather, it seems you have to rein in your power too."

"More often than I'd like." Raven pursed her lips.

"You strike me as a level-headed young lady. I think you'll be just fine."

That coaxed a small but grateful smile out of the girl.

"You got spunk, kid." Robotman assured, smacking a hand on Victor's shoulder. "'Course having all those fancy gadgets probably helps."

Victor grinned wryly. "Well, we can't all be as one-note as you are, man."

"Ha ha. But seriously, I know it can't be easy being in the public eye looking like…y'know."

Victor raised an eyebrow, an expression of challenge forming on his face.

"I don't mean black!" Cliff backtracked nervously.

"I know what you mean." Victor laughed. "Just kidding. And yeah…it takes some getting used to. But being with these guys makes me feel a little less freaky, y'know?"

"Yeah." Cliff smirked, eyeing his teammates fondly. "I know."

In the center of the OPS room, the two leaders of the respective teams shared a conversation.

"Thanks for your help." Robin said, shaking Mento's hand. "I appreciate it. You guys really should get more credit."

"Don't need it or want it, kid." Steve replied. "We'll leave the glory-seeking to the Justice League." Remembering who he was talking to, he paused. "Sorry."

"Don't mention it. Even so, I think it's good for people to see heroes in the light of day doing the right thing. But coming from someone who's worked under Batman, we need people in the shadows too."

"How old are you, son?" Steve asked, scrutinizing the boy's face.

"Doesn't matter." Robin retorted, brushing the matter aside.

"Can't be older than 16." Steve forged ahead, as if he hadn't heard. "You're gonna go far, kid. But like my wife is always telling me, don't let the job consume you. Stop and smell the roses every once in a while. Before you know it, you'll be my age. And speaking of age…"

Walking up to his son who'd been watching the conversation from afar, he smiled.

"Happy birthday, Garfield."

There was shocked silence in the room.

"Why didn't you say anything?!" Victor exclaimed.

"We were kinda busy." Garfield replied, sheepishly rubbing his neck.

"No excuse not to celebrate a birthday!"

"Yeah." Robin chimed in. "As someone just told me…don't let the job consume you."

Garfield grinned, his heart swelling with emotion.

Retrieving the box he'd brought with him from the kitchen counter, Cliff removed the cover, unveiling a birthday cake adorned with green and purple frosting.

"So who's tearing into this bad boy first?!" Cliff shouted in glee. "After the birthday boy, of course." He smiled over at Garfield.

As they all gathered around the kitchen table, the candles were lit, Garfield sat down, his family old and new surrounding him.

"Make a wish, honey." Rita grinned.

Garfield closed his eyes before blowing out the candles. "I don't think I could wish for anything better than this." He responded softly.

As the others began to get their own slices of cake, Steve nodded silently to Garfield, indicating he follow him.

Inundated with Steve's commands his entire life, Garfield almost found it disturbing how easily he found himself quickly leaving his chair to follow his father figure.

Once the boy joined him, Steve put his hands on his hips and heaved a sigh. "Seems to me you've really found your place here, Garfield. You were right about working with the Titans and you showed some great leadership out there in the field. I'll admit, I didn't think you had it in you."

Digesting the information, Garfield tentatively posed a question. "So…do I get to stay a Titan?"

"You tell me. You're the one who boldly declared it yesterday. So are you a Teen Titan or not?"

"Definitely." Garfield paused, unsure what to do now. "Thanks."

"I'm going to need the uniform back, though." Steve said sternly.

"What?!"

"Just kidding." The man smirked. "Lighten up a little." He finished with a wink.

"So the old man's got a funny bone, huh?" Garfield said with mirth.

"I guess some of your bad habits rubbed off on me." Steve jested back.

The two chuckled together for a moment before the moment was interrupted.

"Hey, is this cake vegan?!" Victor shouted in the background as the others laughed.

….

Once everything had been cleaned up, the remaining members of the Doom Patrol prepared to take their leave but not before a final warning.

"You all keep my son safe, do you hear me?" Rita Farr commanded, more than asked, her face deadly serious.

"Yes, ma'am." Robin and Cyborg responded in unison nervously.

"Good." Leaning down towards her son, she said, "Sweetie, call me every once in a while, alright?"

"Yes, ma'am." He blushed as she kissed his cheek.

"We're all proud of you, honey." Rita assured as she straightened up. Glancing back at her husband, she said, "Even if some don't express it as much as others. Be safe, okay?"

"Aren't I always?"

He had to laugh at her deadpan look in response.

"Happy birthday, kiddo." She smiled fondly, blowing a final kiss his way. "If you need us, you know where to find us."

"Likewise. And when there's trouble, you know who to call."

**The End**

**A/N: Hey, everybody! I apologize for another long wait. This chapter took longer than I had anticipated but I'm pretty proud of it. Once again, I thank you all for being loyal readers and for reviewing.**

**Special thanks to carlsniper1990, alicetrollz, Rockondude, doggy bye, Song of Shadow, Scrubylue, FanOfmanyThings1, and Nevermourned for favoriting and following. **

**I took some liberties here, particularly with Negative Man's powers, since I don't know the Doom Patrol all that well and haven't watched the show.**

**Finally, a reminder to stay safe, wear a mask, and whenever possible, stay home! I believe God's got this but we all have to do our part. Once again, thank you guys and stay tuned for the next update!**

**Next up: Joyride!**


	12. Chapter 7: Joyride

**Hudson Chasm, Jump City, Years Ago**

"_There it is, Dean-O. Hudson Chasm. Just begging for an aspiring daredevil to jump her. There's been a dozen mooks who tried and failed but your Pop is gonna be the first."_

_Young Dean James simply gazed up adoringly at his father, enraptured by the stories and dreams he would tell him about whenever he had a chance. If there was one thing he knew in life, it was that his Daddy always came through with his promises._

"_One day, I'm gonna make that jump, kid." His father said, pointing as he gazed wistfully at the ridge. Drawing his son closer to his side, he asked, "You coming with me?"_

"_Yeah." Dean smiled softly._

"_I can't hear ya, boy!" His father jested._

"_YEAH!" The boy shouted with gleeful fervor, his voice echoing throughout the ravine._

_Laughing, his dad mussed up his hair before leading him back to the car. "That's my boy. Now let's get home before your Momma catches us out here."_

**Now**

"_Dean, it's John. We haven't heard from you in a while. We're getting a little worried, man. Listen…the prototype's gone missing…you wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"_

_Message Deleted._

"_Look, James, I've tried to give you time. But time's up. You got 48 hours to pack up your stuff and clear out. I've gotta give the apartment to someone else."_

_Message Deleted_

"_Dean, it's me. I know we haven't spoken in a while but the kids are asking about you. Speaking of, I'm still waiting on those child support checks…"_

_Message Deleted_

Finishing up the last piece of welding and spray-painting some flames on, Dean stepped back to admire his work. It was time for a test drive.

_I'm ready, Pops._

**Jump City Park**

"Ready, Star?" Robin asked his friend with a challenging eyebrow.

"I am ready, Robin." Starfire said seriously, eyes narrowed.

"Here it comes!" The Boy Wonder cried as he threw his projectile in the air and spiked it in her direction.

With a defiant roar, Starfire wound back and unleashed her full might on the poor white object.

With a loud pop, the volleyball was annihilated and shred into fragments.

"Uh, nice hit, Star." Robin chuckled. "But next time, use less force. The point of volleyball is to hit the ball back over the net until one of us drops it, remember?"

The girl sheepishly glanced at the ground. "Ah, yes. Apologies, Robin. I must remember to…'push my punches'?" She finished questioningly.

"Pull your punches." Robin chimed in helpfully.

"Yes."

"No biggie." The boy shrugged. "How about we try frisbee instead? That game requires a lot less force."

"Shall we ask the others to join us?" The alien girl questioned.

"I don't see why not." The masked teen smiled easily. "I'm not sure where Cyborg got off to but it looks like Raven is in need of rescuing."

…

"Garfield, for the last time…I am not leaving the comfortable coolness of the shade under this tree to play some inane game with you."

"Aw, c'mon, Rae-Rae—" He was cut off by a fierce growl from the empath. "Raven." He quickly amended. "I'm telling you, one game of frisbee will change your life. All you have to do is throw it. You don't even have to go fetch. I've got that part covered."

To prove his point, he morphed into a green Labrador and retrieved the frisbee from its place on the ground and dropped it on her lap, panting and wagging his tail cutely while giving her his best puppy-dog expression.

Raven didn't appear impressed and wrinkled her nose at the dog drool that was getting on her new book. "I said no." She emphasized, shaking her book free of saliva.

His ears dropped in response before he morphed back into human form, still looking sullen. "Are you completely against the idea of having fun?"

Her eyes flashed with growing irritation as she struggled to call on any meditation exercises that would help her. "I'm completely against the idea of leaving the nice cool shade and my exciting new book to play tisbee with you."

"Frisbee." He laughed.

"Whatever." She huffed, hiding her flustered expression behind the spine of her book.

"Hey, Gar!" Robin called out from behind them. "Are you still using that frisbee?"

Casting a glance back at the Titans' resident buzzkill, he muttered, "I guess not." Picking it up, he tossed the frisbee to the Boy Wonder who caught it one-handed before nodding at Starfire to follow him into an open field.

Motioning for him to wait, Starfire floated over to Beast Boy and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Garfield, would you like to join us?"

"Yes, I would." Garfield brightened, happy to be wanted.

Flashing a winning smile in response, Starfire turned to Raven. "Raven, would you like to participate as well?"

"Ugh, don't bother." Garfield cut in before she could even reply. "That wet blanket can't even spell the word 'fun'."

With that, the changeling walked off to join Robin.

Starfire gave a melancholy glance to the silently stewing empath. "Are you all right, friend?"

"I will be." The girl replied, without looking up. "I think I might be able to recover some of my brain cells now that that idiot's at least 10 feet away."

Starfire barked out a dry laugh at that, shaking her head at her friends' discord, before flying over to join Robin and Beast Boy.

"Garfield." Starfire called as they began tossing the frisbee. "Do you know where Victor has gone?"

"I think I saw him trying to join some guys for a pickup game."

"What are they picking up?" Starfire asked, puzzled.

"A basketball." He supplied.

"What is a basketball?"

"We can play that next." Robin assured her.

….

"Okay, check up!"

Following Victor's command, the young man passed him the ball and he swiped it out of the air easily before crouching and observing the scenario.

Three guys were blocking his path to the hole. Two of his teammates would be able to defend two of them but the third guy was all his.

This one was for all the marbles. Or at least, the bragging rights which counted for pretty little since he'd only known these guys for about 15 minutes.

When he'd asked to join in on their game, the guys had been a little hesitant before one of them had recognized him as a Teen Titan in one of the few instances that his newfound celebrity status had been a benefit.

Anyway, back to the matter at hand.

Easily dribbling the ball, Victor took a breath before charging down the court and weaving his way through defenders. It had been a long time since he'd felt the kind of adrenaline rush he'd gotten from sports. Sure, stopping jewel thieves and super-criminals for kicks was exciting but nothing else did for him what athletics had provided for him his whole life.

Feeding off of that, he bowled over the man in front of him before leaping skyward and dunking the ball with authority.

"Booyah!" He cried out triumphantly, spinning the ball on one finger. "That's game! Who wants to go another round?"

"Man, you totally cheated!" The guy he'd dunked on spluttered indignantly.

"Ay, don't hate the player, hate the game, baby."

"Nah, man." One of the other man's teammates chimed in. "It ain't fair you got them powers and all that. You was probably cheating the whole damn time."

Indignantly, Victor balked. "Look, man, just 'cause I got some enhancements doesn't mean I was using 'em."

"Prove it, yo!" He huffed.

Victor scowled. "Forget it."

Harshly, he passed the ball into the man's chest, making him grunt and double over at the force.

Snorting with a small measure of satisfaction, Cyborg stalked off the court, making the men step back as he shoved past them.

Grumbling to himself, Victor stopped on a path, taking in the sights and sounds dejectedly.

It hadn't been so long ago that he would've been enjoying the day like anyone else. Now he couldn't go anywhere without being reminded how much he wasn't like everyone else.

He sighed and shut his eyes, feeling lonelier than he'd felt in a long time.

He didn't have long to stew on his thoughts due to a sudden impact that totally knocked him for a loop.

"AGHHH!" He shouted, rubbing his cheek in outrage. "YO, who-?" He looked down at his feet to find the baseball that had been his attacker.

"What in the world?" He muttered in irritation as he stooped down to pick it up.

"Oh my gosh, I am so sorry!"

Victor turned to the voice that had spoken and was immediately floored.

Jogging his way was a blonde-haired vision with bright blue eyes, ponytail swishing in the wind, and a purple T-Shirt that read 'St. Nieli School for the Handicapped'.

Catching up to him, she clasped her hands apologetically and touched his arm without any apprehension or fear. "Are you okay? I'm so sorry, Nasir's foul ball was way off the mark."

For a moment, all Victor could do was stare dumbly, woefully unprepared to utter a word. Nonetheless, the girl's hand didn't stray as she squinted up at him, her concern growing.

Clearing his throat, Vic finally got his bearings. "It's…erm, it's fine." His voice squeaked involuntarily as if he were Garfield. Chuckling nervously, he continued, "Besides, only the metal side of me was hit. I was more shocked than anything."

"Good." She laughed, removing her hand to his silent disappointment.

She bit her lip and rocked on her heels, appearing to be waiting for something.

Meanwhile, he resisted the urge to pull at a collar he didn't have as he felt his face grow hot.

"Um, is it okay if we get our ball back?" She asked gently.

"Oh." Startling in realization, Victor inwardly cursed himself, as he handed her what she asked for. "Oh, right. Sorry."

"No worries." She waved her free hand easily.

The two of them shuffled their feet for a moment before she spoke up again. "Well, I'd, uh, better get back to…"

"Miss Simms!"

Victor's gaze shifted downward when he saw a young boy who looked to be nine or so run up to them.

"Did you find my ball?" The dark-skinned boy peered up at the blonde.

"Got it right here." The girl smiled down fondly as she passed it to him. "Nasir, make sure you apologize to this man here."

Moving to do as she said, the kid's gaze wandered to him before bugging out in realization.

_Oh, great. _Victor cringed. _Here it comes._

But to his surprise, instead of fear, the boy's face radiated excitement and awe. "You're Cyborg, right? From the Teen Titans?"

"Uh, yeah. That's me."

"Whoa!" Looking back to his companion, he asked, "Miss Simms, do you got a pen?" Quickly moving back to Cyborg, he pleaded, "Can I have your autograph, sir?"

"Nasir, slow down." Miss Simms laughed. "Why don't you go grab the others so we can all meet Cyborg?"

"Oh, yeah!" He agreed enthusiastically, racing back and calling to a group of kids in the baseball field.

"Victor."

Miss Simms turned back in confusion. "Sorry?"

"My real name's Victor."

She smiled brightly and stuck out her hand. "Sarah."

"Nice to meet you." He smiled back, shaking her outstretched hand.

On that note, the two turned to meet the swarming horde of children coming their way, flanked by two men. There was a dark-skinned bald older man wearing glasses with short-cropped hair and a young brown-haired main with shoulder length hair leading the kids in their direction.

Sarah grinned with familiarity while Victor watched as the kids looked at him in wonder.

Before he knew it, he was overcome by a slew of questions.

"Can you fly?"

"Do you eat people food?"

"Can you turn into a car?"

"Does your mom let you fight crime past bedtime?"

Despite some questions throwing him for a loop, he did his best to answer all their questions honestly.

"I'm just a guy." Victor assured them when there was finally a lull in the conversation. "When I'm not on the job, my name's Victor. Victor Stone."

One of the girls excitedly pulled on the older man's sleeve. "Mr. Sellers, can Victor come to class?"

Smiling down at her, the man turned to the cyber hero. "If it's okay with him. What do you say, Victor? Care to join us?"

Eyeing Sarah and the children's pleading expressions, Vic couldn't find it within himself to say no. "I'd love to." He answered genuinely, beaming at the ovation his response brought from the kids.

"Fantastic!" Sellers exclaimed. Addressing the young man next to Sarah, he implored, "Mark, hand Victor a card, will you?"

Once he had done so, Victor committed the address on it to memory and self-consciously slid it into a compartment on his torso but no one seemed to find it too strange.

The peaceful atmosphere was shattered by screams and shouts accompanied by the revving of a souped-up engine that only got closer.

They all gaped in shock as they stared across the lawn at a high-tech roadster cutting through the park, flames sputtering out of the back as it smashed through the park entrance and into the city.

It wasn't long before the squeals of police sirens followed and a swarm of cop cars engaged in hot pursuit.

Before anyone could say anything more, a high-pitched beeping sound cut through the air.

Victor silently groaned, knowing what came next.

Reluctantly, he turned and answered his wrist communicator while the children behind him fawned in awe.

"Cyborg, did you see that police convoy race by?" Robin asked.

"Yeah, I did." He sighed.

"Then let's move. Meet the others by the front entrance."

"What are you gonna be doing?"

"Evening the odds." Robin said cryptically before hanging up.

Turning back to his new friends, Victor awkwardly clasped his hands. "Well, guys, I, uh, gotta go. Duty calls."

The children let out a collective groan of disappointment before excited whispers and questions took over.

"Everybody, settle down!" Mr. Sellers spoke up to make himself heard.

"I'm sure Victor can tell us all about it when he comes to visit our class." Sarah mollified the children while turning to him with a hopeful glimmer in her eye.

"Wouldn't miss it." Cyborg promised, tossing her a reassuring smile before waving to the others. "Alright, ya'll, see ya later. I gotta go kick some butt."

His declaration was met with cheers and a cacophony of goodbyes and waves as he raced down the lawn to meet the others.

Whatever moron was causing the city a headache today was gonna get kicked around extra hard today.

….

Once Victor had rendezvoused with the others, Robin gave out the orders, as usual.

"Titans, go! Starfire, grab Cyborg! I'll catch up with you."

Knowing there was no time to ask what he meant, the team launched into the air, following the sound of the sirens.

Taking on the form of a falcon, Beast Boy used his enhanced vision to scan the situation down the road as they rapidly approached.

He curiously eyed the classic roadster with flames coming out of the back chassis. Whoever the driver was, they had no respect for other people's property. They were mounting curbs, trucking mailboxes, and causing civilians to scatter in panic.

Noting this, Raven used her powers to snatch scattered debris from the air and safely land it, rope unsuspecting children out of harm's way, and rescue an officer whose car was on a collision course with a brick wall.

While Raven handled that, Starfire held Cyborg in one hand rather than two so she could fire her starbolts at the roadster to limited success. Her plan was to melt the road so as to quickly form a tar pit but she would need the usage of two hands for that. Using one hand, she tried to slow it down with a trench but the vehicle simply jumped it without slowing down. The officers in pursuit weren't so lucky. The girl's intention to help had backfired as the cars careened into the shallow lurch and caused a pile-up.

"_H'll myg_!" She cursed in exasperation, slowing for a moment before continuing on.

Meanwhile, Beast Boy had decided to get up and personal with this psycho. Once he was in range, he morphed into a monkey and landed on the back of the car, crawling until he was at the front window.

Getting a good look at the guy, he saw it was some middle-aged guy with a scruffy beard, a slightly rotund build, and a wicked gleam in his eye as if he was loving all of this.

_Must be that Ding Dong Daddy guy we've been hearing about. _Gar thought with a chuckle at the man's chosen moniker.

Finally, he got a glimpse of the green primate eyeing him. jumping slightly, he recovered quickly, reaching into his glove compartment.

Gar's eyes widened as he saw a revolver aimed between his eyes. Squeaking, he let go of the window and fell back as the shot rang through his ears.

He hit the asphalt hard, rolling into a curb and groaning as he morphed back into human form.

"Ow." He muttered.

Attempting to be more than dead weight and incensed at his friend's current status, Cyborg extended his wrist and started firing rubber bullets at the dragster. No matter how hard he tried, the driver was able to avoid his attempts to blow out their tires.

"This is getting us nowhere!" Victor shouted over the noise of the wind and sirens. "What the heck is Robin doing?!"

….

Robin anxiously stood on the street corner, awaiting the help he'd called for.

The transponder told him it should be here any minute, but every second counted when his teammates needed him.

The sound of revving engines was like music to his ears.

"Finally." He grinned.

A gleaming red motorbike came screaming around the corner and slid to a stop in front of the grinning Boy Wonder who excitedly eyed his logo stamped on the side.

"Hello, gorgeous." _Hang on guys, I'm coming._

…

Dean couldn't tamp down the grin on his face if he tried. The Roadster was working like a dream. The cops and the new kids in town couldn't even slow him down. This had been a fun little test drive and all, but it was time to shake 'em all and pack it in.

No sooner had that thought come to his mind, he was rattled by a shock of explosive force.

Adjusting his mirror, he spotted a red motorbike gaining fast, blasters at the ready.

"Robin." Dean nodded, sticking a toothpick in his mouth. "Knew one of 'em was missing."

Shouting out the window, he cried, "You wanna play, kid?! Let's play!"

Stepping on the gas, he went screaming around the bend into an adjacent alleyway. It was a tight fit but never let it be said Dean James didn't live dangerously.

As expected, the Boy Wonder followed, showing no signs of hesitation himself. "Give yourself up!" The kid shouted, ducking sparks and sprays of debris.

"Not a chance, kiddo!"

On that note, Dean pulled out a trick he'd been saving for just such an occasion. Smashing a button, he released oil slick out of the back of his car and cackled in delight as it tripped up Robin and caused him to wipe out. Stopping briefly to glance at the discombobulated teen left in his wake, he laughed once more and swerved out of the alley, escaping into the afternoon sunshine.

…**.**

Once he'd cleaned up and rested for a minute, Robin regrouped with his teammates who didn't look any happier than he was.

"I'm guessing you didn't catch him either, huh?" Garfield winced as Raven worked on healing his road rash from his tumble earlier.

"What happened?" Robin asked, rather than state the obvious.

"I was a little busy protecting civilians and scraping him off the pavement." Raven nodded down at Garfield who stuck his tongue out at her.

Seeming to accept that, Robin turned to Starfire. "I thought you would've handled this guy with no problem."

"He maneuvered quite well." The princess defended herself. "I attempted to melt the road but had to settle for a trench. It proved ineffective. Fighting crime with one arm is more difficult than it sounds."

Digesting that information, Robin came to a conclusion.

"Uh, Cyborg? I don't mean to sound harsh or anything…but is there a way you could get your own mode of transportation? Your hitching rides with us is slowing us down a little. Building a car of some sort shouldn't be too hard, right?"

"Uh, well, I…it might take a little time." Victor hedged, acting like a deer in the headlights.

"Dude, I've seen the designs in your lab." Garfield chimed in. "You've already got one in mind, huh?"

"Zip it, Green Bean! Those ideas are only experimental. Besides, I'm not slowing you guys down that much, am I?"

His question was answered by the awkward glances away.

"All right, fine. It might take a little while. I hope you guys can stand me 'slowing you down' for a little longer." He huffed, stalking away.

"Cyborg, wait!" Robin called after him.

"I'll find my own way back. Don't let me hold you guys back anymore." He barked over his shoulder, not slowing down.

"Great job, Robin." Raven muttered. "Truly inspiring leadership."

The Teen Wonder glared at her before mounting the R-Cycle and sliding his helmet on. "Let's just go home and see if we can find out more about this…Ding Dong Daddy."

Beast Boy couldn't help his guffaw if he tried.

The others gave him long-suffering looks.

"What? It's funny."

**Hudson Chasm**

Normally Hudson Chasm was a majestic and romantic spot that inspired shock and awe in all who visited it.

All Victor could do was maintain a sour expression as he tried not to throw up. He hadn't been back here since…that night.

Walking towards the road, he stared at the spot where his life should have ended over 6 months ago. Or maybe it did?

He sighed and stared at his mechanical body as if he was living in a dream he should've woken up from by now.

"I thought I'd find you here."

Victor pivoted around to find his father looking at him with a mix of pity and disappointment. "Let me guess: you've got a tracking device or something on me?"

"Didn't need it. Robin asked me to check on you. He mentioned the idea of driving set you off. I connected the dots."

"Congratulations." Victor responded sarcastically.

"Victor…you'll have to try it again sometime."

"Do I? Can't I have, like, jet boots or something?"

"Son, that sounds ridiculous. You don't have any room to install jet boots. That would require you to have a brand-new paradigm and…" He trailed off, clearing his throat as he realized he was getting off-topic. "Sorry. The point is, if you can take on super-criminals, you can drive a car again. Just take your time." He finished, patting his shoulder. "Also, Beast Boy wants you to bring back pizza."

"Sure. You got any cash on you?"

….

"So, Cy, you good?" Garfield asked around a mouthful of pizza, vegetarian of course.

While still feeling in a fog about his current dilemma, Victor couldn't help but smile as he remembered how the reveal of Gar's vegetarian status had come about.

**1 week ago**

The team had been gathered together in the kitchen, which was somewhat of a rarity so reluctantly Garfield had decided to make his move.

"_Guys, I have a…confession to make."_

"_Beast Boy, if you are the one who passed the gas last night, you need only have said so." Starfire assured sympathetically._

"_What? No! Well, yes, but no! I'm talking about the fact that I'm a…vegetarian."_

_He shut his eyes, feeling hopelessly lame. Wasn't he enough of a freak already?_

"_Is that all?" _Robin's voice rang out as he continued to scroll through his phone.

"_Yeah, man, no biggie." _Victor waved a hand dismissively from his place at the stove._ "Why didn't you say somethin'? I coulda whipped you up a salad or somethin'. You eat eggplant?"_

"_Uh…yeah. Eggplant doesn't sound too bad."_

"_Gotcha. One eggplant salad comin' up."_

As Cyborg retreated into the fridge, Garfield turned back to the others._ "So…you guys really don't think it's weird?"_

Surprisingly, Raven had been the one to speak up. _"I have gray skin and can teleport through walls. Starfire is orange and her hands glow and shoot energy beams. Cyborg is half-man and half-machine and Robin's hair is spiked like a porcupine while he's dressed like a traffic light. We live in a giant T in the middle of the ocean. Somehow, when it comes to weird, I don't think vegetarianism tops the list."_

"_Thanks, Raven." _Beast Boy smiled brightly.

_Raven looked away from his gaze with a subtle nod._

"_Yeah, thanks." _Robin had muttered, miffed at her subtle jab.

**Present**

"Honestly, Gar?" Victor answered, as he refocused. "I don't know."

"Cyborg, do you feel you are able to help us apprehend the Ding Dong Daddy?" Starfire asked concernedly with the utmost seriousness.

Garfield snickered, spitting out pieces of pizza sauce to Raven's disgust.

"I think I just lost my appetite." She groaned, leaning away from him.

Robin heaved a long-suffering sigh as he scanned the news reports. "Can you please take this seriously?"

"Sorry." Gar giggled. "It's just too funny."

"There has gotta be something else we can call this guy, right?" Victor put in. "What about…Triple D?"

"So now we give our enemies nicknames?" Robin asked doubtfully. "Criminals are to be taken seriously no matter what they call themselves…even if it is Ding Dong Daddy."

This only brought further guffaws out of Garfield who hugged his stomach as he chortled, unabashed.

"All right, fine!" Robin threw up his hands, fed up. "Triple D it is. Cyborg, it's clear you're a little shaken up after today. Why don't you take a personal day? Is there something you can do to relax? Somewhere you could go to clear your head?"

Remembering his meeting with a certain blonde earlier in the day, Victor nodded. "Actually, yeah. Yeah, there is."

**The next day, St. Nieli's School for the Handicapped**

"…Anybody wanna take a stab at what Homer was talking about during the Odyssey?" Gary Sellers asked his class of tired students. "Anyone?"

"It's all Greek to me, Mr. Sellers." A new voice rang out cheekily.

All eyes in the room snapped to the back of the room where Victor Stone stood, escorted in by Mark Wright who had gone to intercept him from the Visitors' Lounge.

The children's faces lit up, the bored air in the room visibly dissipating.

"You made it!" Sarah laughed in surprise from her corner of the room.

"Told ya I wouldn't miss it." He winked. Facing the class, he said, "Mr. Wright here tells me you guys love kickball." Pulling one off the floor, he held it up and spun it on his finger. "Who wants to play?"

**4 hours later**

It had been a long, fun afternoon of kickball and signing autographs but eventually the school day was over and the kids had to head on home. As much as the experience was good for them, Victor couldn't help but feel it was them doing him a favor. He hadn't felt this normal in so long. Being an inspiration, playing sports, meeting new people…those were the things that really made him happy.

At the end of the day, Gary had told Victor he was welcome to come by any time and that his presence was a huge boost for the class. Not wanting the day to end, Victor had insisted on staying behind with Mark and Sarah to clean up. Mark had seemed hesitant about his staying behind for some reason.

Nonetheless, with the three of them, cleanup took no time. As Victor made his way over to Sarah to say goodbye, Mark lingered as if waiting for him to leave.

Ignoring that, Victor strode over to Sarah only to be stopped short as he found her studying him intensely as if he were a math equation

Sarah scrutinized Victor's face for so long that it started to make him feel uncomfortable. He'd thought she had been able to ignore the whole half-man, half-robot deal but now he wasn't so sure.

Finally, she said, "Hey, I was just about to go and get something to eat. You wanna come with?"

Taken by surprise, he blinked a few times before clearing his throat. "Uh, yeah, sure. Lead the way."

Tossing him a smile in return, Sarah turned to Mark, saying, "See ya later."

Mark's eyes darted from her to Victor and back. "Leaving already?"

"Yeah, me and Vic are gonna grab a bite to eat. See you tomorrow?"

"Yeah. For sure." Eyeing Victor curiously, he simply said, "Have fun, you guys."

Rather than reply, Victor followed Sarah outside into the late afternoon sunshine.

Naturally, Cyborg drew glances from passerby but if Sarah noticed, she didn't let on.

Finally pausing outside a bistro, she stopped to turn and open the door for him, causing him to chuckle in amusement.

"Isn't this supposed to go the other way around?"

"Welcome to the 21st century, buddy."

Deciding he had no choice, Victor played along and stepped inside, breathing in the cool air conditioning.

The environment was quaint and cozy. There were tables spread around along with a lounging area and upper levels. People young and old could be seen across the upper levels chatting and having conversations or working on their laptops and cell phones.

"Order anything you want, my friend." Sarah's voice interrupted his musings as she came alongside him. "It's on me."

"Hey, I already set aside my chivalry once today."

"I thought it was three strikes, Tin Man. If it makes you feel any better, I promise not to pull out your chair for you." She teased.

"Well, you've done so much already you might as well." He jested back. "While you're at it, I might need to borrow your jacket with how chilly it is in here."

"My generosity only goes so far, Victor Stone." She mock warned him. "Don't push your luck."

Once they'd ordered their food (panini for her, meatball sub for him), they sat down once Victor convinced her to leave his chair alone and let him pull it out himself.

"So…" She spoke without preamble, "What's bothering you?"

"How did you know…? Am I that obvious?"

"Trust me, I've seen enough melancholy brooding in my life to know the signs." She chuckled, a tinge of bitterness in her tone. Quickly shaking it off, she brushed her bangs out of her face and prompted, "So what is it?"

"Well, uh…it's about the accident that made me…like this." He gestured to himself.

Sarah nodded wordlessly, her gaze intense but silently asking him to continue.

"I was driving by Hudson Chasm last August. The weather was pretty bad and I wasn't really in the greatest headspace." He licked his lips and swallowed before continuing, "The car ran out of gas and I was stuck in the middle of the road. I wasn't paying any attention and a semi came down the way. You can guess what happened next."

Sarah still said nothing, patiently waiting in case he had more to say.

"People died because of me, Sarah. 3 people didn't get to walk away like I did. I check in on their families from afar but…I feel like no matter what I do, I'm never gonna be able to make up for that." She simply blinked, her eyes shining but unwavering. "Anyway, this new guy on the streets is riding around in some souped-up car. He's nearly impossible to catch and I can't fly and I don't have a set of wheels. The others are urging me to build myself something to compete with this guy but…I can't see myself behind the wheel ever again. I can barely hold it together in the backseat of rush hour traffic. How am I supposed to drive a 100-mph speed demon? This whole thing sucks. It feels par for the course that we would run into a bad guy whose whole gimmick is driving at breakneck pace. I don't know what I'm supposed to do." He finished frustratedly, hanging his head to glare at the table.

The pair were quiet for a moment before Sarah's warm hand covered Victor's cold, cybernetic one.

"Victor, I can't tell you that you'll ever be able to take away the hurt of those families. I could tell you to let somebody else handle this but something tells me that's not the kind of person you are. I won't tell you to man up and get over it because trauma doesn't work that way. But I will tell you this…I believe you survived that crash for a reason, Victor. There's no such thing as coincidence. At least, I don't believe in it. Maybe you were meant to be Cyborg. Maybe you were meant to be in this position to save the day."

"So you're saying we were meant to meet and have this conversation?"

She blushed and retracted her hand. "Exactly."

"So if I'm meant to take this guy on, what do I do?"

"Do you want to hear my opinion as a perky motivational speaker or your friend?"

"Oh, so we're friends now?" He asked playfully.

She put a hand on her chest in mock hurt. "Victor Stone. I bought a meatball sub and held the door open for you. If that isn't friendship, what is?"

He smirked, taking another bite before saying, "Nothing says friendship like a meatball sub. Give it to me straight."

"Kicks fear's ass, Victor. You have the choice of whether to let it defeat you or not."

"And what's the censored version?"

Raising her voice an octave and putting on an unnatural smile, she mimed, "Don't give up, buddy. Follow your heart and you can't go wrong!"

"Yeah, I prefer the first thing. It's more down my street." He paused before saying sincerely. "Thanks."

"Anytime." She smiled before digging into her panini.

A comfortable silence fell over them as they finished their food. He still couldn't help but be a little amazed at how she tore into her meal with gusto. Most girls he knew showed a little more restraint. He grinned a little as Sarah's ravenous appetite reminded him of Starfire.

"Um…do you have a phone?" Sarah asked as they stood up to throw their trash away. "Or, uh, pockets?" She chuckled nervously, facepalming. "Sorry, I am such a moron."

"Nah, it's cool." He assured as they stepped outside onto the sidewalk. "You can still give me your number if you want. Just give me a second."

Still a little uncomfortable with showcasing his cybernetic side, he opened a compartment in his wrist that he used for communications and showed her the Dialpad onscreen where she could type her information.

For a second, Sarah stared blankly, observing it curiously.

"I know it's a little weird." Victor stated embarrassedly.

"Are you kidding?" She smiled up at him before dialing in her number. "This is awesome. I can't tell you how many times I've lost my phone. There's no way you'd ever have that problem."

Victor barked out another laugh, surprised at how well this girl could take things in stride. "I guess not."

"Well, Victor, this has been fun but I am overdue for a shower and some binge-watching." Squeezing his shoulder, she began to back away, asking, "So I'll see you around?"

"Definitely." He smiled.

"Okay then." She beamed, shoving her hands into her jacket pockets and walking away into the sunset, her hair reflecting the golden hour's light perfectly.

As he watched her go, Victor felt like the dark cloud hanging over his head all week just might be starting to fade.

**S.T.A.R. Labs, 30 minutes later**

"Victor." Silas Stone acknowledged his son without looking up from his project. "I'm surprised you decided to come down here today. Especially this late."

"Whatcha working on?" Victor asked, mainly to make conversation.

"It's nothing." Silas said quickly. "What is it you wanted, Victor?"

"I needed your help, Dad." Victor explained, a little miffed. "Do you know the parts that would be needed for a super-powered vehicle?"

"It's not exactly my area of expertise but I know that the Nitro Corporation was working on something like that. They had a prototype go missing. You know, with your internal systems, you could search it up yourself."

"Oh. Right. I guess I'm so used to going to you for answers it never occurred to me."

"Odd." Silas said absently. "You usually insist on doing these kinds of things on your own."

"Just keeping you on your toes, Dad."

"Hmph." Stepping away from his microscope to pack up, he called out to his assistant, "Sarah, lock up for me, will you?"

"Yes sir, Dr. Stone."

Nodding at them both, Silas went to the exit and headed outside towards his car.

Once he was sure he was gone, Victor sauntered over to his father's assistant. She was of medium build, caramel skin, and hazel eyes covered by the chocolate bangs framing her bespectacled face.

"Dr. Charles." He said formally.

"Victor Stone. What brings the big bad superhero back to the old stomping grounds? I figured you'd be busy playing in the clubhouse with the other Teen Titans."

"Wanted to see a friend. And it's a Tower, not a clubhouse."

"Semantics. So how is that whole thing going? I've seen you guys on the news a couple of times but I mostly see Robin speaking for you all."

Victor chewed the inside of his cheek, mulling over how to describe his new friends. "Well, let's see…Robin's obviously the leader. Most experienced and all that plus he's got all the connections. Kid's definitely a little uptight but he's tough and he's smart. The rest of us aren't exactly leader material, anyway."

"Oh, no? I seem to remember a very bullish young running back who wasn't afraid to call some plays in the huddle in the few games I went to."

"That was football. This is real life."

"Now you sound like Dr. Stone."

"Ugh." Victor grimaced. "Gross. Thanks for the warning."

Sarah merely laughed before asking. "So what about the rest of them?"

"Beast Boy, Garfield…he's a bit of a slob, a little insensitive, and not to mention a total goofball."

"I never would've guessed." Sarah rolled her eyes.

"But underneath all that, he's been through a lot of rough stuff and still turned out okay. He loves the whole hero thing. I'd consider him our official mascot."

"I suppose every team needs one."

"Starfire is a total softie once you get to know her. But before that, you do _not_ wanna be on her bad side. I earned the bumps and bruises to prove that after we first met her. She's a fish-out-of-water but she's a quick study."

"What about the really depressing one? Raven?"

"Raven is…complicated. Admittedly, I didn't think much of her at first. All I knew was that she was creepy and powerful. Truth be told, I still don't know too much more than that. It's just best to give her some space. She's new to Earth, too, so I figure she's still adjusting. But she's on our side and willing to help and that's all I really need to know about her for now."

"I have to say, kiddo, this is not what I expected when you told me you wanted to try to make a difference. I thought you'd stop a few muggers, put out a couple fires here and there. I did not expect alien invasions and supervillains."

"Believe me, I didn't see any of this coming either. And a seven-year age difference don't give you the right to call me kiddo. Besides, I'm not even a minor anymore. I'm not the same 14-year-old kid who asked you to leave herself available until I was 18."

"And you're not the same guy who was pouting around here 6 months ago. There's a different feel around you. Like you finally stop letting that storm cloud follow you around. You look a lot more comfortable in your own…skin."

"Trust me, sharing a house with a gray magician, a green shape-changing elf, a teenage drill sergeant in primary colors, and an orange flying alien princess make Black skin and cybertronics start to feel average in comparison. Speaking of making me feel average in comparison, how goes becoming the youngest doctor in S.T.A.R. Labs history all while being a woman of color, no less?"

Her eyes lit up behind her frames as he knew they would. "I am _so_ close, Victor. Your father has me working on one last big project with him before he finally feels comfortable handing me the reins. It's been a long road these past 5 years. Your mom told me his assistants usually don't last 5 months, much less years." She winced in sympathy as she watched Victor's face fall at the mention of his mother as it was plain to see that her loss was still raw for him despite it being over a year.

Reaching up, she stroked his cheek. "Are you gonna be okay?"

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he nodded. "Yeah." Clearing his throat, he stepped back and took a seat at one of the workbenches causing her to mirror his actions.

Once she was seated, he continued, "Look, the reason I came here is because I needed some advice. Your advice. I don't know if you heard about the car chase we were involved in the other day with that new criminal in town?"

"Ding Dong Daddy, right?" She asked, clearly stifling a laugh.

"We're just calling him Triple D. Anyway, part of the reason we didn't catch him the other day is because I was kind of slowing the others down. Everybody else can fly and Robin just got a new set of wheels but I'm kind of out of luck there."

"So rent a car or borrow someone's (not mine) and get out there. What's the big deal?" Suddenly it dawned on her. "Oh. Victor, you'll have to do it again sometime."

"Now who's sounding like my dad?" He countered. "It's just, ever since the accident, I can't get my confidence back. How backwards is that? I fight aliens, supervillains, and hoodlums every day but I can't find it within myself to operate a damn car." He finished in a huff, punching the desk and making a dent.

"Vic." Sarah grasped his hand with both of her own. "Please don't destroy my lab."

"Sorry."

"It's fine." She assured, still holding his hand. "As to your problem, what exactly are you asking me?"

"I don't know exactly. Do you think it's dumb of me to even make this as big of a thing as it is?"

"It's never dumb to be afflicted by trauma, Victor. That was a huge event in your life and it's not like you can forget it ever happened. I have seen you struggle through at-times absentee parents, injury setbacks, and the pressures of being a brilliant jock and all that entails. Every time, you overcome and bounce back stronger than ever. I don't see why this scenario has to be any different. As a scientist, I say you approach it like any other problem."

Taking a notebook, she plucked a pen from her lab coat and jotted down some numbered headings before handing it to him. "Okay. What's an observation you've noted about your phobia?"

"Are you serious?"

"Completely."

He sighed. "I'm being a total wuss."

"Write it down."

Once he did so, she pressed on. "What's a question you have regarding your observation?"

He chuckled to himself, rubbing a hand over his face. "How do I stop being a total wuss?"

"Good." She replied straight-faced though her eyes twinkled with mirth. "The next step would be research but we both know you're not going to do any. So what's your hypothesis?"

"This fear is gonna have a hold on me for the rest of my life unless I take steps to conquer it."

"Next, we require an experiment. What would you propose?"

He fidgeted nervously. "I get behind the wheel again."

"Now you'd need to collect and analyze data. Ideas?"

"I start driving and see whether or not I have a panic attack?"

Nodding, she stood. "The conclusion's up to you. Either the fear wins or you do. And last time I checked, fear hasn't beaten Victor Stone yet."

"Thanks, Sarah." He smiled gratefully, standing himself. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Probably drown in your own personal puddle of pity and self-loathing."

"Ha ha."

"So what are you going to do?" She asked seriously. "I don't suppose you have enough money to actually buy a car?"

"Why would I do that?" He said, tearing out the notebook page. "When I can build my own?"

Sarah shook her head in fond exasperation. "You've been swearing for the past 4 years that you'll build your own car. Why start actually making progress on that front now?"

"'Cause now I don't have a choice. It looks like I'll have to do some of that research after all."

He turned to go before Sarah grabbed his arm. "Victor, you don't have to do this alone, y'know."

Turning back, he took her hand and raised the back of it to his lips. "I know. With you around, I never have."

Sarah ducked her head to hide her blush before making sure to put plenty of sarcasm in her tone as she responded, "Your 'suave' moves are never going to work on me no matter how old you get, 'Cyborg'."

"We'll see." He grinned impishly before taking his leave.

"Idiot." Sarah murmured, flustered as she packed up for the evening to head home. Once she shut off all the equipment, turned off the lights, and locked up for the night, she gathered her bag and began walking down the corridor to the elevator.

She paused at the bay window, wistfully looking outside as Victor faded away into the sea of people, headed in the direction of the giant T in the distance.

"Good luck."

…**.**

Victor rubbed his human eye as he yawned with exhaustion. He'd been at this nonstop for the past few days but knew he couldn't afford to slack off with DDD ready to strike at any second. There was no way he was going to fail his friends again.

A knock on his workshop door startled him out of his thoughts.

"Come in." He said, going back to work.

He heard the sound of the door open but no footfalls before a warm hand rested on his shoulder.

"Friend Cyborg, you have been working nonstop all week. Perhaps a break is in order?"

"Believe me, Star, when we catch this guy, I'll sleep for a week. But I've gotta be ready. I can't slow you down like last time. We probably woulda nailed him if you weren't lugging me around."

"You cannot be certain of that. And I am willing to 'lug you around' as long as it takes, my friend."

Vic smiled back at her. "I appreciate that, Star. But all the same, I'd like to get this finished."

Sitting on a bench and crossing her ankles, she remained insistent. "If I brought you nourishment from the kitchen, would you promise to eat it?"

Victor sighed. "You drive a hard bargain, sister. If it makes you feel better, sure."

"The goal is to make sure _you_ feel better." She said, floating back up the stairs.

Before long, she returned with a platter of chips, queso, and salsa which he began to dig into gratefully.

Smiling at her mission being accomplished, Starfire began to take her leave before pausing at the door. "I believed Robin to be assisting you. Has he taken a break as well?"

"That guy? Never. He's running an errand for me."

**The Nitro Corporation**

Robin took a breath as he steeled his nerves, surveying the facility from afar.

This was Dean's place of work and the last place he was seen before he'd gone off the grid. All the necessary parts for his Roadster could be accessed here so it stood to reason that some clues would be left behind.

Stealthily, Robin crept through the window and prowled throughout the seemingly-empty complex.

In the distance, a light was on and the sound of rustling papers may as well have been a foghorn in the dead of night.

Narrowing his eyes, Robin stalked closer, coming upon a man who had no idea he was even there.

"Keeping late hours?" The Boy Wonder asked.

Jolting, the man whirled around, hand on his heart. "Y-you're that kid. Robin."

"And who might you be?"

"John. John Wenski. Is there, uh…something I can help you with?"

"I hope so. You worked with Dean James, right?"

"Yeah. We were partners. Worked on plenty of projects with him. He's brilliant but a total motorhead."

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"Over a month ago. He's dropped off the grid. I've tried calling him but he won't answer."

"I assume you've heard about the car chase downtown the other day?"

Wenski's eyes flashed nervously before he coolly responded, "I must have missed that."

"With all that property damage? Hard to believe. Especially considering it was on every station."

"I don't watch the news as often as I should."

"Well, if you did, you would have seen your missing prototype."

"Um, what prototype is that, son?"

"RR-DD-X9. The Roadster, for short. Stolen a little over a month ago at about the same time Dean James dropped off the map. I suppose it's just a coincidence that that same Roadster was being used by the criminal who fits James' description, height, and build."

"What are you asking me?"

"I'm asking you to give me any information you have on your old friend. Or else you can go behind bars just like him once he's caught."

Taking a deep breath, John leaned against the desk. "In all the times we worked together, he was always focused on building the Roadster. It was his dream project. Said he was inspired by his dad who was a mechanic. He loved '50s films and all that. His old man was always going on about some jump over Hudson Chasm. Dean said they planned to do it together but never got the chance. He passed before they could go. Last I heard, his mom's not doing so hot either."

Robin's face gave nothing away as he pondered all this. "Thank you, Mr. Wenski. You've been a big help."

John rubbed his hands over his face, relieved. "So does this mean I'm not going to jail?"

When he looked up, he found himself alone with no sign another soul had ever been there.

"Guess not." He murmured to no one.

**Jump City General Hospital**

For the second time tonight, Robin found himself secretly slipping through a window. Considering his status as Titans' leader, perhaps he didn't have to but old habits die hard.

Going off what Wenski had told him, Robin had decided to pay Mrs. James' hospital room a visit. Having checked Dean's background, he'd found that he'd been evicted, divorced, and now fired from his job. That left his ailing mother as his only remaining tether outside of his obsession.

Although he knew it was a long shot, part of him had been hoping to catch Dean visiting his mother and end this whole thing in an instant. Unfortunately, though expected, the room was empty save for the frail woman in the bed on oxygen. Even in his determined state, Robin couldn't help but take a moment to pity the woman. It was obvious she didn't have much longer and was barely holding on.

Nevertheless, he had to get back to the task at hand. He maneuvered noiselessly around the room, making his way to the bedside table where a note lay.

Curious, he lifted it up and scanned it: "_Momma, I know you don't have much time but I wanna let you know: I'm ready. It took me a while but we got the Roadster finished. I'm gonna make the jump. I know Pops failed but he just didn't have the horsepower. I can do this. I wish you were there to see it. Hell, I wish Dad were, too. But I'm gonna make him proud. You too, I hope. You've supported me all these years and I can't thank you enough. It's all about to pay off. I'm gonna redeem him, Ma. I promise. Love you-Dean."_

Robin laid it back down before eyeing the woman one last time and turning to make his exit. _Redeem him? What could that mean? _Robin sensed there was a little more to it than just making the jump.

His musings were interrupted by a wizened old voice. "He was here, you know."

Startled, Robin whirled around to find the woman alert and attempting to sit up. Going back over, Robin politely helped her to a sitting position to which she smiled gratefully.

"I assume you're looking for Dean."

Wordlessly, he nodded.

"He came by earlier. He was about as secretive about it as you were. I'm guessing it's because people like you are after him." In the wake of silence, she continued, "That boy has been stubborn and foolhardy his whole life. Sometimes it works out for him, and sometimes it doesn't. His father was the same way. I'm sure you've figured out how that went." Her eyes took on a desperate tone as she gripped the boy's arm in her hands. "Please…you have to stop him from doing this. I don't care what he's cooked up, no one can jump that Canyon. Don't let him end his life the same way his father did."

Robin's gaze became sympathetic as he laid a gloved hand over hers. "I promise, Mrs. James. My friends and I aren't going to let that happen. You have my word."

Letting go and tiredly falling back into her pillows, she muttered, "Thank you."

Robin nodded with a small smile, waiting until she was fully asleep before fading into the night.

…**..**

"Almost there." Victor said to himself.

Given the extra boost from his 'nourishment' earlier, he'd made some pretty good headway and was about 85% done.

Without preamble, the workshop door opened and Victor wasn't particularly surprised at who it was.

"What took you so long?" Victor asked Robin as he entered with a flourish of his cape.

"I ran into one of James' coworkers. Pointed me to his dying mother. I found out what his plan is and I think I know when it's happening."

"Well, don't keep us in suspense."

"He's planning to jump Hudson Chasm. You heard of it?"

Victor's blood ran cold. "Uh…yeah."

"His father was a motorhead just like him. I just looked him up. He died trying to jump the ravine. It looks like his son inherited his adrenaline junkie tendencies. He left a note for his mother claiming he would 'redeem' him. I called Captain Hall and let him know he should be watching the area closely but I have a feeling I know when he'll strike."

"When's that?"

"The anniversary of his dad's death is in 2 days. I have a hunch he'll make his move then." Nodding to the chassis behind Victor, he asked, "How goes the progress on that?"

"Almost done." Cyborg said, laying a hand on it. "I'll be ready."

**2 days later**

"Here we go." Dean breathed out as he did a final systems check.

Everything was ready. It was time. There was just one more little touch the Roadster needed.

Taking a picture of his father, he affixed it to his dashboard before revving the motor and peeling out of his workshop.

_I'm doing it, Daddy. _

…..

Victor stepped back to admire his work, the finishing touches finished in time for the anticipated maiden voyage.

"I'm really doing this." He sighed to himself, nerves and excitement teeming within him.

"Cyborg!" Robin called as he entered in. "I hope you're ready. Captain Hall just contacted me. James has been spotted, headed for Hudson Chasm like I guessed. I'm calling the others." Robin declared, whipping out his communicator.

"Hold up." Victor interrupted him. "Have the cops wait across the other side of the ravine. I've got this."

"Cyborg, this isn't the time to be selfish." Robin reprimanded him.

"It's not selfish, it's just…I need this." Victor insisted, fire behind his eyes.

Seeing the look in his friend's eye, Robin understood. "Fine. But if this goes south, we're intervening."

"Got it."

With a nod, Robin exited the garage, going to round up the team and inform them of the situation.

Taking a breath, Victor took a final look at his creation, hoping he was ready before sliding inside and gripping the steering wheel.

"Okay, Vic. You can do this. Remember: it's your car. Your baby. You know its every schematic from the ground up. You can trust her." He took a breath and revved her up. "Time to take the T-Car for a spin."

**Hudson Chasm, 15 minutes later**

Despite his nerves being mostly settled, Victor still felt like he was having an out-of-body experience piloting a vehicle doing well over 80. A month ago, he would've been shaking if he was driving 5 mph an hour. But he didn't have time to worry about that now. Right now, he had to stop some idiot from killing himself in the same place he had almost done the same.

The other Titans were stationed at the edge of the Chasm with the JCPD waiting on the other side in case this lunatic actually made the jump which was next to impossible according to Cyborg's calculations.

Victor let out an involuntary shaky exhale of breath as the familiar mountains came into view. Before long, he found his quarry sitting on the hood of his car, knocking back a beer as if he had all the time in the world.

Stopping a few feet away, Victor used his systems to shut the car off. Since it was uniquely suited to his body, there was no need for keys.

The revving had gotten James' attention and he hopped off and whistled as he inspected the new vehicle before him.

"That's some mighty good hardware you got there, son. You here for a race?"

"I'm here to help you, James." Victor stated. "You mom's worried sick about you. You really think she'd want you to do this? Not to mention the wife and kids you'd be leaving behind."

The older man's face softened at that. "You don't understand, kid. This right here…" He said, patting his car. "This is all I've been dreaming about for over 30 years. When my Daddy jumped, he just didn't have the technology or the horsepower to do it right. But this baby can do the job. I can succeed where he failed."

"And if you're wrong?"

James seemed to ponder that for a moment before chugging the last of his beer. "Well, there's only one way to find out, ain't there?"

Without warning, he threw his empty beer bottle at Victor's face. The cybernetic teen was able to block with his forearm just before it hit his face and by the time he looked up, James was inside his vehicle and speeding away.

"Damn it!" Cyborg ran back to his vehicle and hopped inside, activating it and peeling off after his assailant.

James had gained some ground but Cyborg was catching up fast. But not fast enough. The drop-off was in sight and the other Titans noticed the two headed their way.

He couldn't hear what was said but Robin appeared to be barking out orders.

The Roadster almost moved too fast for any of them to react. Almost. Starfire was able to fire off a starbolt to the afterburners that set the chassis on fire which insanely enough, didn't deter James in the least as he launched off the edge of the ravine.

Time seemed to slow as Triple D hung in the air in a blazing inferno before starting to dip.

Using his cybernetic eye, Victor analyzed his trajectory. He was gonna fall just short.

Cyborg just barely caught the shocked faces of his friends as he zoomed past them and followed in the madman's footsteps, launching the T-Car off the cliff. Being weightless was terrifying exhilarating but there was no time to ponder that.

DDD had jumped out of his car just before it blew up but he was way too far away to get a handhold or climb up.

_No way anybody else is dyin' here. 'Specially on my account._

There was only one chance.

Sticking his arm out the car window, Victor detached his cybernetic left hand from his body and manually willed it to fly down and grab the flailing man below. Victor's train of thought was cut off as he crunched down, miraculously having crossed the length of the chasm himself to the astonishment of the police gathered there.

He couldn't even process his accomplishment as he ran back to the edge, sighing in relief as he watched his hand ascending back up the cliff, holding James by the collar.

Guiding it, he led it to the police convoy before unceremoniously dropping James into their awaiting arms.

"Good boy." Victor told his hand before summoning it to reattach to his wrist. Fondly eyeing the T-Car to his right, he added, "And good girl."

Walking over to her, he plopped down on the hood, watching as the JCPD cuffed their quarry and began reading him his rights.

_I gotta call Sarah. _Victor thought gleefully. He paused before adding,_ Both of them._

A roar of engines made Victor look up to see Robin coming his way on his motorcycle, the thing somehow hovering with the use of a propulsion system.

"You didn't tell me that thing could fly!" Victor called up to his leader as he landed in front of him, the other Titans following behind him.

"It doesn't fly." Robin laughed, taking off his helmet. "It hovers." He smirked before smiling proudly. "Awesome job, Vic. You called your shot and you did it. And you do realize you just made an impossible jump, right?"

Victor returned the smile before saying, "If hanging with you guys has taught me anything, it's that _nothing's_ impossible."

"Not for us." Robin said in agreement as he watched the others coming over. "I'm gonna make a call. There's a worried mother I made a promise to."

Victor didn't have time to ponder what that meant as the Teen Wonder excused himself just as the others reached them.

"Dude, that was awesome!" Garfield crowed, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "You have gotta let me drive that thing one day!"

"Uhhh…no." Victor dismissed, as he activated the T-Car and slid into the driver's seat. "But you _can_ ride shotgun."

"Sweet!" Morphing into a pigeon, Garfield flapped through the open window before changing back to human form and reclining next to his friend. "A guy could get used to this."

"Ladies?" Victor asked, turning to the girls.

Raven shrugged aloofly, pulling back her hood and approaching the vehicle. "Why not?"

Starfire had a much more enthusiastic reaction, clapping her hands and racing to the car, admiring it for a moment before climbing inside.

Once Robin finished his call, he closed his communicator and hopping onto the R-Cycle, slid his helmet on and revved his engines. "Hey, Cy! Race you guys back to the tower?"

Adjusting the mirror, Victor made sure everyone had their seatbelts on before responding, "You're on!"

Robin grinned and sidled alongside the T-Car. "On your mark…"

"Get set…" Cyborg smirked.

"GO!"

As the R-Cycle and the T-Car raced off into the sunset, Dean James looked on wistfully as he was ushered into a squad car.

_Thanks, kid. Looks like I made the jump after all._

**The End**

**A/N: Hello, peoples! It's been a while but here's another one! Thank you guys for being so patient. Special thanks to Eris, Song of Shadow, Rollerparty, and slydog148 for reviewing the previous chapter. Big thanks to MegaloArtManiac, Carley Pie, SadieAnubisWalt123, EnderPlaz, Jyheim582, TomoMoon1, and kaorusan2000, qwerfhflgofudnsiso****and Pa7adox for favoriting and following this story. You guys' support has meant a lot. Stay safe and God bless!**

**Next up: Take Me Out to the Ballgame!**


	13. Chapter 8: Take Me Out To The Ballgame

**April 13, Jump City, Titans Tower**

"C'mon, c'mon…" Victor Stone was on the edge of his seat, all his focus on the TV screen in front of him and the baseball game playing on it.

"_Radomski winds, he throws, AMI HITS IT! It's going, it's going, it's…GONE! REBELS WIN, REBELS WIN!"_

"Yes!" Cyborg shouted, leaping from the couch and pumping his fists. "Let's gooooo!"

"You guys got lucky." A voice spoke from behind him.

"Yeah, yeah, keep talking birdbrain." Victor waved Robin's comment aside. "Believe me, Jump's raising the pennant this year."

"You'll have to get past Gotham first. Which'll never happen." The Boy Wonder responded smugly, folding his arms as he coolly leaned against the counter.

Victor remotely muted the TV and walked around the couch to stride into the Boy Wonder's personal space, arching an eyebrow. "Is that a challenge, chickadee?"

Robin's brow furrowed before he leaned up to get in Cyborg's face. "It's a guarantee, rustbucket. Name the time and place."

"All righty then. Hundred-twenty bucks says that Jump takes it against Gotham. Friday, April 15, Sturmer Stadium, 2:00. Deal?"

"Deal." Robin returned haughtily. "I'll even buy the tickets since I'm about to come into a good sum of money once you _lose_."

The two boys stewed in a heated silence before Robin stuck his hand out to shake, without taking his eyes from Cyborg's. Without breaking the gaze, Victor took the proffered hand and sealed the deal.

"Um…what are you guys doing?" Garfield spoke out behind them, causing the two boys to turn towards him.

"Gar, who you got for Friday's game?" Vic asked without preamble.

"We're gaming Friday? Well, it, uh, depends on the game, I guess."

"No, man, I'm talking about the Rebels/Knights game. Everyone's been talkin' about it. Who you backing?"

"Is this some kind of cosplay thing?"

"Gar, you _do_ watch baseball, right?" Robin inquired.

"Um, no. I don't watch any sports. Unless wrestling counts. Pro wrestling, not the jockstrap stuff."

Victor and Robin locked eyes, coming to a mutual decision.

"You got money for an extra ticket?"

"For this?" Robin answered. "Absolutely."

"Wait, timeout!" Garfield made the motion with his hands. "I didn't agree to this."

"As team leader, I am ordering you to attend this baseball game and watch Cyborg's team lose." Robin's voice brokered no room for agreement.

"It's America's favorite pastime, bro." Victor implored. "We gotta educate you. Just like the Rebels are gonna educate the Knights with the same old lesson they learn every stinkin' year."

"I told you, things are different this time!"

"Still waiting for proof of that, half-pint!"

The two boys' argument devolved into a back-and-forth war of insults and banter that Garfield decided to remove himself from the situation before almost running headlong into an anxious-looking Starfire.

"Garfield, what is the matter? Why are Victor and Robin shouting at each other?" She asked frantically, gripping his shoulders.

Averting his eyes from her intense ones, he simply answered, "They're taking about some game or whatever."

Her eyes lit up at that as she released him. "A game! How wonderful! How is it played?"

"I have no idea." Garfield shrugged. "Why don't you ask them?"

Deciding to do just that, Starfire floated in between the two boys who only just seemed to notice she was there. "Garfield has informed me that you are debating about a game. Tell me, what is it called?"

"Baseball. It's pretty popular around here." Cyborg explained.

"How is it played?"

"It's…a little complicated." Robin told her. "The basic goal is to score more points than the other team, but…"

"Yes?" She asked eagerly.

"It's better to see it in practice than hear it in theory."

"Would you take me to see it?" She asked innocently.

Sheepishly, Robin rubbed the side of his neck. "Well, Star, we were only planning to take Beast Boy. Kind of a guys only thing, you know what I mean?"

"I see." She said disappointedly before putting her hands on her hips as something occurred to her. "But Garfield does not know how the game works, either. Why is he allowed to participate, but not me?"

Robin seemed to be at a loss for a minute before coming up with a response. "Well, think about it this way, Star. If we brought you and Beast Boy, Raven would be all by herself. Do you really think she would be interested in all this?"

"That would be a no." The Titans' resident empath answered for her as she entered the room, making a beeline for the cupboard where she kept her tea. "It would be nice to have a little quiet around here for once."

"Well, there you go." Robin said, never more grateful for Raven's sudden appearances than right now. "Sorry, Starfire. Maybe next time."

"Very well." She said, shoulders slumped. "I hope that you all enjoy yourselves." Hopefully turning to Raven, she said, "Perhaps Raven and I shall have a girls only thing!"

With her back turned to the group, Raven rolled her eyes as she blew the steam away from her tea mug.

_Like that'll ever happen._

**2 days later, Beneath Sturmer Stadium**

"Ya know I could get fired for this, Soze? You promise to clear my debt?"

"Yeah, yeah, Ronnie. I'm feelin' merciful today. Now open the damn door."

Sighing but knowing better than to argue, security guard Ronnie Douglas opened the loading dock doors to allow in a flood of men in suits, four of them wheeling in an object covered by a tarp. Knowing the layout beforehand, the men confidently strode into an empty storage area where a TV broadcasting the game was affixed to the wall and a catwalk stretched over their heads.

"Uh, what's that?" Ronnie asked as the cart passed him.

Laying a firm hand on the man's shoulder, the crime boss known as Roberto Soze merely winked with the devil in his eye. "Trust me, Ronnie, you don't wanna know. Let's just say, you don't wanna be here this afternoon. If I were you, I'd catch a 'stomach bug' real quick."

Nodding, Douglas ran off in a panic.

Crime boss Roberto Soze calmly surveyed the scene from the catwalk as his lackeys rolled in their special treat for those in attendance at Sturmer Stadium today. It paid to have the best 'friends' money can buy. The favors it bought you, like sneaking illegal contraband into a stadium, were wonderful.

"Alright, boys. You know what to do. If Yumi don't throw this game, make sure he knows what happens when you try to screw Roberto Soze."

"You sure this is okay, boss?" One of his goons asked. "What if them kids come around?"

"Don't worry, Luca. I got an insurance policy, remember? C'mon out, kid."

An armored figure emerged out of the shadows, having been there the whole time. His ensemble was red and gold, with red goggles concealing his eyes and gauntlets on his wrists.

"Boys, meet the Disruptor. It was nice of that Darhk guy to loan him to us along with the bomb. Not sure what his beef with the mayor is but I don't really care. All I know is McCuistion better pray the hometeam takes a dive. If any Titans come down here, Disruptor here is making sure they don't come out."

**Sturmer Stadium, 12:15 PM**

"I can't believe you guys put me in this." Garfield grumbled from his place in line.

His friends had dressed him in a half-and-half jersey, one for each team and had adorned his head with a blue-and-yellow baseball cap.

"You're the neutral party, Green Bean. There's no way you were wearing a Knights jersey but you're not really a Rebels fan, either. Not _yet_, anyway."

"Trust me, Gar. The Knights are gonna make you and the entire baseball world a believer today." Robin promised, glaring at Cyborg.

The trio had secured their tickets and had attempted to remain as inconspicuous as possible which was a little difficult given their status.

Cyborg was garbed in a hilariously huge Rebels jersey with a cap to match and a very stretchy pair of jeans.

Robin wore a Knights Jersey, sans cap, with red and black sneakers and a pair of jeans. He had left the majority of his uniform behind but retained his mask, to his teammates' confusion.

Finally, they made it to the security queue where the metal detectors were.

"All right, guys, phones, keys, wallets, put whatever you got inside the tray and step through." A guard addressed them once it was their turn.

They received curious looks as Robin and Beast Boy dropped their communicators inside before Garfield stepped through first with little fanfare.

Robin followed behind him but set off an alarm.

"What you got, kid?"

"Oh, uh…my belt." He chuckled, pulling up his shirt to reveal his utility belt.

"We're gonna have to ask you to remove any weapons, son."

"Don't you guys recognize me? Robin? Titans leader?"

"I don't care if you're Bruce Wayne. No weapons."

Just as this was said, Cyborg walked through, needing to crouch a little bit to make it through.

The alarms went completely haywire, drawing attention from passerby.

The security was immediately on edge, turning all their focus onto Victor who sighed and put his hands up.

"Guys, I'm kind of a living weapon here. Cyborg? Teen Titans?"

That didn't seem to reassure them as they drew closer before a voice interrupted them. "Hold it!"

The voice belonged to a stocky blonde man flanked by two security guards of his own. Typically, this man was known for his smile and jovial attitude but he definitely wasn't smiling now.

"Mr. Mayor!" The head guard exclaimed, lowering his weapon. "You know these kids?"

"They're the Teen Titans. At least most of them." Warmly smiling at the boys, he moved to shake each of their hands in turn. "Good to see you, gentlemen. Girls weren't interested?"

"Not their thing." Robin said quickly.

Looking back at security, the mayor said, "The boys are with me, guys. It wouldn't hurt to have a little extra protection today."

A little embarrassed, security let them all go and preceded to resume business as usual.

"Thanks, Mayor McCuistion." Cyborg said gratefully. "I hadn't even considered something like that happening."

"It's no problem, Cyborg. It's the least I could do after all you kids have done for the city. How about I return the favor? How would you boys like to sit in the skybox with me?"

"Mr. Mayor, we couldn't possibly…" Robin started.

"Yes!" Beast Boy said excitedly.

"Sir, you totally have my vote for the next election." Victor grinned.

"I appreciate that." The Mayor laughed. "Now what are we waiting for? We'd better load up on snacks and hot dogs. My treat." Noting Robin's expression, the Mayor put a hand on his shoulder to guide him along. "It's okay to let your guard down every once in a while, son. What's the worst that could happen? Aside from the Knights losing, that is?" He smirked at the Boy Wonder's gear.

Robin laughed before nodding in agreement. "You're right. Today's gonna be a good day."

**Titans Tower**

Excitedly, Starfire huffed out anexcited breath as she finally discovered the channel that was airing the baseball game. Anxiously, she scanned the crowd for any sign of her friends but the gathering was truly massive. The camera panned to the skybox where a few familiar faces waved to the crowd.

"_Today our esteemed Mayor McCuistion is attending the big game along with a trio of special guests: Robin, Cyborg, and Beast Boy of the Teen Titans!"_

Starfire squealed with delight as she watched her friends wave to the capacity crowd, grinning ear-to-ear.

"Raven, come look! Our friends are on the television!"

Raven groaned from her place at the kitchen counter. She had been hoping to get her tea and get out as quietly as she had come in but no such luck. She hadn't even known Starfire had seen her.

She cast her eyes to the television, suppressing a smile at the boys' infectious glee.

Leaning over the back of the couch, the redheaded girl happily wiggled in place. "You must partake in the pastime with me. Cyborg says it is America's favorite!"

"No offense, Starfire, but I don't really care much for what America likes. I'd like to go back to my room with nice, steaming mug of tea and enjoy this rare opportunity for peace and quiet."

The princess was put out for only a moment before raising a finger into the air. "I offer a proposal, Raven."

The empath waved a hand, drolly saying, "This ought to be good."

"You shall sit and watch the game with me until you have run out of tea. Afterwards, I shall leave you to the peace and quiet."

Raven opened her mouth to say no but the older girl's pleading expression wore her down. "Fine. But only until I run out of tea."

Starfire shifted over to allow the other girl to sit down as an awkward silence overtook them while Raven blew on her tea, silently willing it to cool fast so she could get out of here.

"So…" Starfire ventured. "Do you enjoy sports, Raven?"

"No."

_OUT! _The umpire on the TV shouted.

"…I see." The Tamaranean spoke quietly. "Are there are any games or sports in Azarath?"

Raven sipped her tea before responding. "The culture doesn't really lend itself to anything like that. Most of our time is spent in meditation, prayer, and knowledge-seeking. Sports and games were never presented to me save for the occasional game of chess."

The older girl processed this for a moment before saying, "On Tamaran, games were an integral part of our culture. I often participated in war games in preparation for battle when we were older. My sister and I particularly enjoyed solar lance jousting."

"That sounds dangerous." Raven put in, taking another gulp of tea. "How is it any different from human jousting?"

"Rather than use solid material, the lances are comprised of light energy that dissolve upon contact."

"Efficient."

"Indeed." Seeing that the empath's tea was nearly gone, Starfire asked, "What was a typical day like for you back home?"

Downing the last of her beverage, Raven paused thoughtfully before speaking. "I would wake up by sunrise. Freshen up. Report to Mistress Azar for morning meditation. Break for breakfast. After that, I might go and learn a few spells. Nothing too serious. After lunch, I'd have an hour or two to myself to read. Maybe fit in a game of chess with my mother. In the evening, I would meditate again, eat dinner, say my prayers, and go to sleep soon after sundown. I never deviated much from that schedule, if ever."

"Did you not have a group of friends with you?"

"My mother was the only one even remotely close to my age range. I was lucky to be acknowledged much, if at all, by anyone else."

"That is horrible, Raven. And I am sure it is not true."

"Let's just say that not everyone appreciated me getting…special treatment."

"And why was that?"

Despite the question not being asked unkindly, Raven's defenses were still raised. "It doesn't really matter. Anyway, I'm out of tea. Which means this conversation is over."

Raven stood up and began floating away when Starfire's voice stopped her. "I understand, you know."

Raven's blood ran cold before she turned. "You do?"

"Our situations are not so different."

"Somehow I doubt that." Raven murmured.

"The special treatment? The isolation? A set schedule? As a princess of Tamaran, these things were not unfamiliar to me."

"Really?" Raven queried, surprised and relieved at the same time.

"Mm." The older girl nodded. "I, too, was always learning and studying to take on my parents' duties one day. My siblings and I did not have much of a life outside of the palace. At least not one that wasn't carefully monitored and controlled. You can imagine there were not too many children running around our home. Perhaps that is why my siblings and I were so tightly-knit." She paused wistfully before continuing, "Combat training and tutoring were daily parts of my life and treated as equally important. The former came more easily than the latter."

Starfire chuckled at that and Raven couldn't help but join in before adding, "I have the opposite problem. I was taught to avoid violence at all costs. Absorbing knowledge and reading was my escape from my reality."

"Combat was my own from the political pressures that were to be inevitable due to my status. I suppose we are polar opposites."

Eyeing the game on TV, Raven spoke slowly. "Well…Cyborg and Robin root for different teams. One's dark-skinned, one's light. One tall and one short. One's warm and one's cold. But they're still friends. Still Titans. So maybe polar opposites can still attract."

The empath wore a small smile that her friend couldn't help but return. "I believe so."

A comfortable silence fell over the two girls as they turned their attention back to the baseball game.

"_Bethany Snow on the scene here. The weather is gorgeous and appears to be a perfect day for baseball. Rebels fans are chomping at the bit for Yumi Izuki to have a big day as…"_

In the background, the Titanesses' attention was captured by a strange-looking man in the background. He didn't appear to be a mascot for either team but was wearing an armored suit. He moved swiftly as if trying to avoid being seen but the few seconds he was visible were enough to put the two on edge. If Bethany Snow or anyone else on the scene had noticed him, they didn't let on.

"That's odd." Raven mused. "I'm no expert on sports but why do I get the feeling that guy's not supposed to be there?"

"Agreed." Starfire rose to her feet. "We should alert the boys."

"No." Raven cut in. "For all we know, this could be nothing. Neither one of us is from around here. I don't want to alarm them for nothing. We can go check this out ourselves." Extending a hand to her friend, she declared, "Let's go."

Accepting the hand, Starfire was enveloped in a shadow the shape of a raven before finding herself blinking in the sunshine outside of Sturmer Stadium where Bethany Snow and her crew had been moments before.

Starfire turned in wonder to her friend to find her with her eyes closed, intensely concentrating and blocking out the noise inside the stadium.

The Tamaranean remained respectfully silent when a security guard appeared and raced in their direction. "Hey, you two can't be here!"

Starfire put a hand on the man's chest and stopped him completely cold, making him grunt in surprise. "Sir, we do not have time for this. My friend senses danger here."

As if on cue, the empath audibly gasped as she appeared to have sensed something. "Underneath. Someone's down there. I sense evil intent."

"How will we get down there?" Starfire asked, all business, ignoring the apoplectic security guard who began radioing for reinforcements.

"Like this."

Starfire suppressed a shiver as her friend grabbed her arm and transported the both of them through the pavement underneath their feet to the lower levels of the stadium below.

The gray girl put a finger to her lips to signal quiet before poking her head around the corner to a storage area where a cluster of men were gathered, dressed in classic suits and pistols holstered to their sides.

Most of their attention was fixated on a TV affixed to the wall that was broadcasting the game that could be heard going on above their heads.

"Game's lookin' tight, fellas." The man who appeared to be in charge spoke. "Let's hope Yumi does his part down the stretch." Patting a large covered object next to him, he finished, "Or else it's bombs away."

_That's what I must've been sensing_, Raven realized.

Over her shoulder, she felt a gust of air and she looked on in horror as Starfire leapt into the fray without hesitation, unleashing a flurry of starbolts on the confused men.

With her back turned, a goon whipped out his pistol and fired on her but Raven had the presence of mind to put up a defensive wall to protect her friend before using it to pancake her would-be assailant.

A bullet grazed Raven's cloak and she gasped as she melted into the ground before appearing behind her attacker and using a psychic tendril to toss him into a pile of equipment.

She took a deep breath before turning to find the coast clear and Starfire holding up the man in charge with one hand, a starbolt in her other.

"Surrender!" The girl barked threateningly, her eyes glowing fiercely. "You have lost."

"I ain't lost nothing, sweetie." Soze sneered. "Those mooks were just cannon fodder. You think I didn't count on you brats getting involved? The game's changed. So I brought along a little insurance policy."

Watching his eyes dart over her shoulder, Starfire dropped him and instinctively turned to fire her starbolt into the shadows, narrowly missing Raven.

To both girls' surprise, the energy blast bounced right back and slammed its owner in the chest, knocking her off her feet as Soze laughed in the background.

"Disruptor, get rid of these two little girls! I'm in such a good mood, I'll pay you full price for taking out only two Titans."

Rather than reply, the Disruptor silently stepped out from his hiding place and turned his red gaze on Raven, waiting for her to make the first move.

_Fine, then._ Raven gritted her teeth and levitated a stack of equipment boxes, thrusting her hands forth to send them flying his way.

To her shock, the boxes stopped once they got close, suspended in mid-air.

"Anti-gravity field." The Disruptor cheekily explained before sending them back Raven's way.

The empath frantically avoided most of them before one caught her in the back, knocking her down and making her feel woozy.

Meanwhile, Starfire rose from her prone position and fired a two-handed blast that Disruptor curved to the side before rounding it back towards her. She ducked before angrily flying towards the villain, fist cocked back.

The Disruptor chuckled before raising a hand to stop her in her tracks. "When are you gonna learn, alien? You can't touch me."

Using his other hand, he lifted the dizzy Raven before using his power to slam them both back against the wall, powerless.

"Now, if you'll excuse us, ladies, there's a game going on." He said smugly.

**Sturmer Stadium Skybox**

"C'mon, son, don't be so glum! There's a game going on!"

Robin snapped out of his thoughts to spare the Mayor a polite smile. "Sorry. I've just got a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. I can't explain it."

"I know what you mean."

"You do?"

Taking a breath to compose himself, the Mayor leaned back in his chair. "Earlier this week, some man appeared in my office. He told me about some organization of his that would 'revolutionize the world'. He wanted my help but I've been in the political game long enough to know who I can and can't trust. I didn't like the look of him. I turned him down and he didn't seem to take it all that well. Haven't heard anything since but I swear when he was in the room, the temperature dropped ten degrees."

Robin's brow furrowed with interest. "What did this man look like?"

"White hair, dark suit. His voice was oily but his eyes made him look like he'd seen more than I have."

"I think I might know-" Robin began before the PA system interrupted him with a message telling the crowd to get loud.

"No sense worrying about it now, son. We're missing the show!" The mayor called over the noise.

Despite his reservations, Robin decided to let it go for now and turned his attention down to home plate as the announcer began to ramp up the crowd.

"_Alright, folks, it's the bottom of the 9__th__! Make some noise for YUUUUMIIII!"_

The crowd went predictably nuts as their infamous closer stepped up to the plate. Nobody noticed his hands shaking or the trepidation in his trek to the pitcher's mound.

He couldn't shake a cold feeling slipping down his spine. All week, he'd been threatened by Boss Soze and his people about throwing the game if it came down to a situation just like this. Yumi had been praying the game wouldn't be so close, but in this rivalry, it always was. All he had to do here was strike the batter out twice to make it believable and then whiff on the last pitch. Simple.

Winding up with all his anger and frustration, he threw a dart straight to the umpire's hand.

"STRIKE ONE!"

Cursing his agent for getting him in deep with the mob in the first place, he pitched another heater as if Soze would be on the receiving end.

"STRIKE TWO!"

There was an excited wave going through the crowd. Looking at the fans, their children, and even the Titans on the Jumbotron, Yumi felt sick to his stomach. There were all counting on him. He may not have been a superhero but this was the one thing he knew how to do to brighten up someone else's day.

Squeezing his eyes shut, Yumi roared and flung the ball with all his might.

"STRIKE THREE! OUT!"

The crowd roared its approval as the stadium shook and Yumi couldn't help but smile as his teammates mobbed him.

Damn Soze and whatever he had cooked up. No way he was taking this from him.

….

The roar of the crowd above had been enough to stir the unconscious Raven from her slumber. She moved to stand up before a firm grip on her arm stopped her from rising. Her gaze darted to Starfire who appeared to be playing possum as Disruptor's back was turned.

"Our individual efforts are not enough to overcome him." Starfire whispered. "It appears we will have to work together to defeat him. I would welcome any ideas."

"I think I've got one." Raven whispered, beginning to explain.

Across the room, Boss Soze roared and knocked over his ashtray. "That bum didn't throw the game! Light it up!" Soze roared as his goons had begun to stir as well.

One of them clumsily raced over and activated the bomb with a countdown of 5 minutes.

"Now, let's clear out!" Soze commanded. "Disruptor, finish them however you like and expect your payment soon."

With that, the crime boss raced out behind his men, intent on getting clear of the blast radius.

Cracking his knuckles, Disruptor wheeled back to the girls. "Sorry, ladies, this has been fun but I've gotta make this quick."

"Agreed." Starfire said, quickly jumping into a defensive position, green energy engulfing her hands.

"Sweetheart, you've tried that, remember? And it doesn't look your friend is in any position to help you."

The redhead smirked at that. "I would not be so sure about that." Looking over her shoulder, she ordered, "Now!"

Raven leapt up and stretched out a hand just as Starfire let loose her starbolt.

Disruptor lifted up his defenses as expected but Raven had summoned a portal that absorbed her friend's starbolt.

Unbeknownst to their enemy, Raven's portal opened up behind him at point-blank range and the starbolt popped out, right on target.

Disruptor roared in agony before collapsing, smoke coming off of him.

"Looks can be deceiving." Raven said simply before smiling at her friend. "Nice work."

"You as well." Starfire smiled back before growing serious once more. "What shall we do about the bomb? It indicates we have 3 minutes remaining."

"There's no time to get help. I can't lock on to Cyborg's aura with all those people up there. And neither of us are experts." Raven spoke frantically. "Maybe I can call him and have him talk us through it."

Taking out her communicator to do just that, she growled in frustration when the attempt failed. "He must have left it off." Trying another time, she only grew more agitated. "Robin, too. The one time I actually _want_ to talk to him and of course, he's unavailable." She sighed, as she knew there was one more option.

…

"Raven?" Garfield answered, finger to his ear. "What do you want?"

All he could hear on her end was anxious chatter, none of which was incomprehensible.

"Look, Raven, I can't hear you over all of this noise. Game's almost over, we'll talk soon."

"Gar, get over here! We're up at bat!" Victor called excitedly.

"Gotta go!" Gar hung up, racing over to join the others at the window.

…

"Urghhh!" Raven roared, the light fixtures above them flickering with her rage as she tried not to shatter her communicator. "IDIOT!"

Eyeing the timer nearing the minute mark, Starfire came to a decision. "Then only one option remains." Pointing to the unconscious Disruptor, Starfire said, "Get him and yourself to safety, Raven."

"What are you going to do? Punch it to death?"

Starfire smiled wryly. "If only."

With that, she hefted the device in one hand before flying straight up and carving a path through the ceiling with a continuous starbolt beam.

"Starfire, wait!" Raven called out.

Despite her well of panic, she followed orders and levitated Disruptor's limp body, teleporting the two of them above ground in front of some very confused security guards.

"Take him." She ordered without preamble.

Creating a disc of black energy, Raven hopped on and floated above the stadium, trying to get a glimpse of Starfire, with no luck.

"C'mon, Starfire, where are you?"

Thousands of feet above, the alien girl was zooming, leaving a sonic boom in her wake as she climbed ever higher to dispose of the bomb.

Finally feeling she was at a safe distance, Starfire glanced at the timer.

5…4….3…2…

….

_BOOM!_

The sound of fireworks was a delightfully pleasant sound to all except a sulking Robin who knew his wallet was about to be a hundred dollars lighter.

"What do they put in those fireworks anyway? I could feel the impact shake the press box." Cyborg wondered aloud.

"Only the best for our Rebels." The Mayor laughed.

"WOO-HOO!"

Everyone in the skybox turned towards the changeling in the room who shrunk into himself as if just realizing he'd been heard.

"I just…like fireworks." He shrugged nonchalantly.

"Whatever you say, B." Victor smirked.

…

Raven's senses were overwhelmed for a moment by the simultaneous explosion of the bomb and the release of the fireworks but quickly refocused her attention on finding Starfire.

Squinting into the heavens, she saw a figure falling rapidly.

"Starfire!"

Launching herself in her direction, Raven followed the estimated trajectory and was able to catch and cushion her friend with a slide of dark energy that deposited her harmlessly to the ground.

"Starfire, are you all right?" Raven asked panickily.

With a groan, the girl began to stir and Raven helped her up to a sitting position.

"You know I could have just teleported that, right?" Raven asked her.

"You were already weakened from the battle and I know continued usage of your powers drains you. I thought it safer if I took the brunt of the blast. Besides, I was not certain of the range of your powers and the bomb would only fall once it exited your portal. I was able to launch it away and achieve the requisite distance in the time remaining."

Raven blinked for a moment. "That's…very well-thought-out, Starfire. Thanks."

The girl grinned weakly before saying, "I am not a total airhead, as they say."

"No." Raven agreed. "No, you're not. You ready to get out of here?"

"Totally." Starfire said, standing to her feet. "That is the Earth expression, yes?"

"Totally." Raven smirked. "C'mon. I've got an ice pack calling my name."

With that, the two Titanesses ascended and took flight in the direction of Titans Tower, feeling a lot lighter than they'd been all day.

**Titans Tower**

"Pony up the cash, Bird Brain!" Cyborg crowed in delight as the boys entered the OPS Room. "Once again, the Rebels own the Knights!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, keep your shirt on." Robin grumbled, forking the cash over.

Noticing the girls lounging in the living room, Victor broke off from the others to address them, grinning ear-to-ear. "You ladies missed out on all the excitement! You should come along next time!"

"Absolutely not!" Starfire proclaimed emphatically, standing up from the couch. "Your Earth games are most horrible."

On that note, the girl stalked off toward her quarters without so much as a backward glance.

The boys turned their gazes to Raven, silently asking for an explanation.

"Let's just say we've had enough excitement for one day." She said simply, floating up and following after Starfire.

Thoroughly confused, the guys' focus turned to the TV that was still on, covering the Rebels' big win before abruptly switching over to a special broadcast from the Snow Report.

"_We are getting reports that the two Titanesses' Starfire and Raven apparently halted a bomb threat at today's festivities. I don't think it's a stretch to say these dangerous activities may have occurred due to the Teen Titans' presence at the game today." _

The feed cut to a rather unflattering image of the boys. Garfield was snorting soda out of his nose, Victor had his head thrown back like a werewolf in heat, and Robin had his hands clutched to his head as if he was Macaulay Culkin.

The boys had the decency to look embarrassed before the image shifted to one of Starfire laying a hand on a security guard while Raven had her eyes shut in what appeared to be annoyance.

Bethany looked disgusted at the images before continuing on. _"Rather than work with the local authorities, the two girls seem to spit in the face of authority in a move I hope our youth don't seek to emulate much in the same vein as I hope they don't sit idly by in a crisis like the rest of the Titans. This especially isn't a good look after Cyborg exacerbated the situation with Dean James two weeks ago by engaging him in his reckless games. At any rate, the Titans cleaned up a mess they may had a hand in and for that, I suppose we owe them a measure of gratitude." _

There was a pregnant pause before Garfield spoke up.

"Man, what was I thinking? I shoulda stayed home. _That's…_" He jerked his thumb in the direction the girls had gone. "…what I call exciting." Gar said as he retreated towards his room.

Robin and Cyborg remained in stunned silence before the changeling poked his head back around the corner. "So when's the next game?"

**The End**

**A/N: Hey guys! I bet you didn't expect me to update this fast. Truthfully, neither did I. But God encouraged me and I wanted to get another chapter posted by Halloween night to celebrate the one-year anniversary of this story. By the grace of God, I have been able to write and share this story with you all and your encouragement and support has meant so much. I never imagined this story would get this much attention but I stepped out on faith and here we are. Special thanks to The Dimensional Reader, ME1905, TREBOR.E, Raven862, and taping the stars for following and favoriting the story. Shoutout to derekctomlinson, The Dimensional Reader, Rollerparty, Eris, and FireShifter for reviewing the last chapter. Once again, thank you all for reading. Happy Halloween and God Bless!**

**P.S. Don't forget to Vote if you're able!**

**Next Up: HIVE Mind**


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